The Only Easy Day
by MidgetWarlord
Summary: A United States Navy SEAL Team finds themselves in a strange, new world after a mission goes VERY sideways. They are told that this world needs help, but are they up to the task? And do the inhabitants agree? Or will they try to stop the ones destined to save them?
1. Fore-note

Worry Not! I've got one more story on the way! It is called, "The Only Easy Day" and has a doozy of a First Chapter! I'm actually pretty sure this one chapter is about half the size of my first story at a whopping 25,000 words and counting! (I'm not done yet)

So stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 1

**This is the Start of my next, and probably final, story, The Only Easy Day. Now, for this one, I am going to make a very long explanation, simply because I feel the need to show the respect deserved.**

 **Ok, some of you may already know just by reading the title, that this story will have a lot to do with Navy SEALs, who's Motto is, "The Only Easy Day was Yesterday." The Navy SEAL's are considered America's leading Special Operations Forces, and are quite reasonably considered that. Their training is one of the most vigorous, painful, and stressful, and the average candidate spends about a year in training before they are given their Trident. After they are given that, they are assigned to a Team or a SEAL Delivery Vehicle, and undergo another 18 Months of pre-deployment training. More SEALs die in training, than actual combat.**

 **Now for a little History and other Facts. They were created in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy to conduct Unconventional Warfare, and originated from a few Special Forces in World War 2. They are trained to not only operate, but excel in all environments, Sea, Air, and Land. From scorching deserts, humid rainforests, freezing arctic, to high-altitude mountains. From seizing a hostile boat, river-side insertions, to taking back a Pirated ship. They were also the first Diving Team to also become Airborne, and Parachuting is just one of their many skills.**

 **Their currently known engagements are very numerous, and they include; Vietnam War, Operation Urgent Fury, the Achille Lauro Hijacking, Operation Earnest Will, Operation Prime Chance, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Storm, Several Ops in the Somali Civil War, Operation Uphold Democracy, Operation Red Wings(Afghanistan), several more Ops in Pakistan, and many more Ops in the War Against ISIS. This is not even close to all of them, I know, but I'm sure it's enough. My sources for that information is a mixture of Wikipedia, backed with several other sites to verify the information.**

 **A Navy SEAL's equipment vary depending on the mission, but they do have standardized equipment. The following is a list of the firearms and their Specs. You can skip this part if you're not interested, but I request that you read the last Paragraph of this intro.**

 **Sidearms/Handguns: The KH Mk 23 SOCOM .45APC**

 **The HK Mk 23 was a pistol developed specifically for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and was officially adopted in 1996. The Mk 23 was chosen for supreme accuracy, reliable functioning, corrosion resistant properties and terminal ballistics behind the .45 ACP. It stood against various torture tests including a separate unlubricated 96-hour surf and saline mist tests, 30,000-round +P ammunition endurance firing, drop tests, 450 accuracy test firings, submersion in sand, sludge in temperatures ranging between 160 degrees and -60 degrees Fahrenheit. The extended barrel features threading designed to accept a KAC suppressor.**

 **SPECIFICATIONS: Heckler & Koch Mark 23**

 **Caliber: .45 ACP**

 **Weight (w/ suppressor): 4.22 lbs.**

 **Length (w/ suppressor): 16.56"**

 **Barrel length: 5.875"**

 **Magazine capacity: 12 rds.**

 **Assault Rifles: Colt M4A1 5.56 NATO**

 **The Colt M4A1 is a SEAL's primary weapon and features the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar) accessory kit including a six-position Crane collapsible stock. More compact than the U.S. Navy's standard issue M16A2, the modular M4A1 can be reconfigured by the user for missions with a grenade launcher, shotgun, various optics, lasers and illumination tools. Capable of both semi-auto and full-auto modes, the M4 has a rate of fire between 750 and 900 rounds per minute and uses a quick-attach suppressor. Additional enhancements are currently being considered.**

 **SPECIFICATIONS: Colt M4A1**

 **Caliber: 5.56 NATO**

 **Weight: 5.6 lbs.**

 **Length: 33" (stock extended), 29.8" (stock collapsed)**

 **Barrel length: 14.5"**

 **Magazine capacity: 30 rds.**

 **Sniper/Marksman Rifles: Knight's Armament Mk 11 SWS 7.62 NATO**

 **The Mk 11 SWS (Sniper Weapon System) is based on the highly accurate SR-25 also produced by KAC. The Mk 11 was developed to meet a solicitation placed by the U.S. Navy SEALs. Featuring controls like the standard issue Colt M4A1, the Mk 11 is a unique semi-auto-only sniper rifle that can be suppressed and is capable of delivering effective precision beyond 1,000 yards.**

 **SPECIFICATIONS: KAC Mk 11 SWS 7.62**

 **Caliber: 7.62 NATO**

 **Weight: 15.3 lbs.**

 **Length: 45.5"**

 **Barrel length: 14.5"**

 **Magazine capacity: 20, 10 or 5 rds.**

 **The Barrett M82A1 SASR .50 BMG**

 **Procured in time for the first Gulf War, the M82 made a reputation for long range and deep penetrating effectiveness against hard targets. Adopted as the SASR (Special Application Scoped Rifle), it has expanded capabilities with EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and as extreme range anti-personnel rifle. This short recoil, rotating bolt semi-automatic rifle delivers high energy and was famously used in Somalia by the SEALs in 1993 against many enemy vehicles.**

 **SPECIFICATIONS: Barrett M82A1 SASR**

 **Caliber: .50 BMG**

 **Weight: 31.0 lbs.**

 **Length: 48 or 57"**

 **Barrel length: 20 or 29"**

 **Magazine capacity: 10 rds.**

 **Submachineguns: HK MP5N 9mm NATO**

 **The compact MP5 continues to be popular among elite counter-terror organizations. Operating from a unique roller-delayed blowback system, the MP5N was developed by Heckler and Koch specifically for the SEALs. This "Navy" model fires from both a closed and locked bolt in semi-auto, burst, or full-auto modes. The 800 round-per-minute MP5 is extremely accurate and provides a superb option for CQB operations earning praise from the SEALs for its controllability, smooth operation and accurate shot placement.**

 **SPECIFICATIONS: HK MP5**

 **Caliber: 9mm NATO**

 **Weight: 6.47 lbs.**

 **Length: 27.25" (stock extended), 21" (stock collapsed)**

 **Barrel length: 8.85"**

 **Magazine capacity: 30 rds.**

 **Machineguns: FN M240 7.62 NATO**

 **The M240 is a widely used machine gun that has been seen service ranging from a base of fire to coaxial configurations supporting main guns on armored vehicles. It is known for its high reliability and operates from the open bolt. The M240 features an adjustable gas system that fires between 650 and 950 rounds per minute and the M240B and M240G models feature a bipod. Even though it is heavier than the M60, the M240 is expected to completely replace the M60 due to its easy maintenance and impressive reliability.**

 **SPECIFICATIONS M240**

 **Caliber: 7.62 NATO**

 **Weight: 27.3 lbs.**

 **Length: 49"**

 **Barrel length: 24.68"**

 **Magazine capacity: N/A**

 **I've got one more that came from a different source, and I won't go into as much detail because it's actually not very common.**

 **Type: Assault rifle (SCAR-L) Battle rifle (SCAR-H) Sniper rifle/Designated marksman rifle (SSR) Personal defense weapon (SCAR PDW)**

 **Place of origin: Belgium (design) United States (manufacturer)**

 **Service history In service: 2009–present**

 **Production history: Manufacturer: FNH USA Produced 2004-present**

 **Variants:**

 **SCAR-L (Mk 16 Mod 0)**

 **SCAR-H (Mk 17 Mod 0)**

 **SSR (Mk 20 Mod 0)**

 **My Source for the following(Except the SCAR) is from the following link: /exclusives/weapons-of-the-us-navy-seals/**

 **Ok, I'm sorry to have made that such a massive "Intro" but, I've got one more thing: My personal thoughts on the Navy SEALs.**

 **I think of them as some of the most impressive and patriotic men in the world. I myself have started personal training to become one. As a result, I may not finish this Fic… if I don't get it typed out fast enough, I may go off to Actual Training before I can finish it. However, I do have almost a Year to get this, so…. Maybe? I promise I'll try my best to get it done.**

 **Without further adieu…. I present to you my Final story; The Last Easy Day.**

"Fox, Jack and Jill are making their way to the well. Do you copy?" Jackson heard over the radio before responding with, "Copy." And went silent. Fox was his call sign and the "Jack and Jill" sentence was their target; A large Taliban convoy transporting a number of American hostages. He was apart of SEAL Team 9, a recent addition to the previous 8 Teams of 2017. His team was hastily put together about a Year ago, but they were finally seeing some action in June of 2019, when the Taliban were starting to crumble all around the world. They were starting to pick their fights even more carefully now, and it seemed like this was one they were determined to win.

But so was Jackson, and his entire team. The sound of footsteps tore him from his thoughts, and he swung his M4A1 Carbine towards the sound. His Firearm was outfitted with a Suppressor, Tactical AimPoint Laser/Flashlight Device, an Underbarrel M203 40MM Grenade launcher, and standard ACOG Battle scope.

He knew it was Granger behind him, but his training said he had to be ready just in case. Granger then came into view, and was not worried in the slightest that Fox had his gun pointed at him. He knew he wouldn't shoot.

"You ready?" He asked, after jumping down to join Fox in the small trench. Fox simply nodded and turned to face the road again. Granger was armed with an M240, with a Bipod and Infrared scope. It was dark out, and he was the one who would immobilize the lead truck, and stop the convoy, hence, the scope.

Cooper and Bull were on the other side of the road, in a similar position, waiting as well. Their final team member, Joyce, was on a small hill about 300 Meters North of their position, armed with his Mk 11 SWS.

"There they are." He heard Granger say, and followed his raised, outstretched arm to see the convoy. There were 8 vehicles total, including 4 Technicals, 2 armored cars, and 2 Canvas-backed troop transports.

"Alright Everyone," Fox said on the radio, "remember, we have to stop them here, get the hostages, and GTFO before the Haji's in the village hear it and come lookin', clear?"

He heard 4 responses, and nodded to himself before taking position at the edge of the pit he dug, as did Granger. He watched their headlights get closer and closer, and he put his hand up in preparation to order Granger to fire.

80 Yards.

70 Yards.

60.

50.

40….

"NOW!" he yelled, and fired his M203 at one of the Armored cars, while Granger tore through the lead Technical with his Machine gun. All the vehicles stopped immediately, and the confused soldiers began spilling out into the sand, trying to figure out where it was coming from. It didn't take them long to spot the flashes of their muzzles, and they started returning fire. Fox and Granger ducked behind cover.

However, once they did, Cooper and Bull began firing into them. Confused, dropping like flies, and being attacked by clear professionals sent most of them into a frenzy, and a number of them charged both positions. They were mowed down easily.

The few remaining Taliban put up a decent fight, but ultimately were no match for the 5 Highly trained Navy SEALs. Once Jackson saw the last visible Taliban fall, he and Granger began to advance on the two canvas back trucks. He saw Cooper and Bull doing the same, knowing that Joyce was covering them.

Joyce was probably the best Marksman in the entire program in Jackson's opinion, but then again, every squad leader probably thought that.. unless their marksman just wasn't really very good.

As he and Granger neared the first truck, while Cooper and Bull approached the other one, he began to hear panicked voices. However, they were also American. He jumped around the corner, weapon at the ready just in case, and startled the people in the back. However, he saw no weapons, and lowered his rifle. He then lifted his NVG's and pulled the mask down from his face.

He was also the only SEAL he had ever seen that wore a mask like his. It wasn't a full face mask, and only covered up to his nose, and had the lower half of a skull on it, while the Goggles he normally wore had the upper half of the skull.

As he pulled it down, he said calmly and clearly, "Relax, we are United States Navy SEALs, we're here to rescue you."

He saw looks of relief flood them all, but before he could continue, he heard Cooper's voice on the radio, "Boss… you had better come take a look at this…"

Even through the Radio, he could hear the dread in Cooper's voice. At that point, Jackson knew this was no longer a normal mission, because Cooper was the second most calm and collected person he had ever met; Joyce was the first. He nodded to Granger, who then proceeded to assist the hostages in getting out of the binds and out of the truck, while Jackson walked over to the other truck.

However, as he passed one of the Technicals, a Taliban came out from behind it with a knife and charged him. Before Jackson could even raise his rifle, he heard a hiss and saw a small red explosion from the man's chest as he slumped back against the truck, dead. He turned around and gave a quick look in Joyce's direction before continuing to the truck.

As he rounded the corner and looked inside, after giving a quick nod to Cooper and Bull, he was confused. At first, he saw a terrible sight; crates of ammunition, guns, grenades, rockets, and even a few MRE's. And all of them American. He began to think this was the problem, and said, "Looks like they raided a Supply Cache…. God, there's a lot of weaponry here-" but Cooper cut him off, "No, not the guns… That…" He said, pointing.

As Jackson followed his finger, a terrible feeling of dread overcame him as his eyes landed on a medium sized, cylindrical container with an ominous yellow symbol on it…

"Jesus Christ…. Is that a…" Jackson started, and Bull finished with, "Nuke? Yes, it is. Or, at least that is a container for one… We have yet to open it up to confirm Nuclear Origin."

Jackson hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and said, "Open it."

Time slowed, and the tension thickened, as Bull grasped the canister, and began to fiddle with the lock. After a moment, it clicked open, and the three looked inside.

Nothing.

A massive weight was lifted as they sighed with relief. Jackson walked back to Granger, who had finished unloading the hostages. He looked them over now, and noticed most of them looked terrified, and only a select few had brave faces on. However, everyone seemed uninjured and able to move, so he said clearly, "Ok, just a few more minutes, and we'll have you well on your way back home, just sit tight for a few." And gave another nod to Granger, signifying that the situation was under control again.

He then walked back to Cooper and Bull, and motioned for Cooper to join Granger. Jackson pulled the Encrypted Long Range Radio out of Bull's backpack, and spoke into the mouth piece, "Spartan three, this is the Fox Den, over."

"This is Spartan Three, proceed with transmission, over."

"We are ready at The Well with 13 Civilian Hostages, ready to be extracted, over."

"Copy that Fox Den, a Helo is inbound. Be advised, we've only got one to send, Alpha two is down with Engine repairs, you'll have to sit tight while we get the hostages out, over."

Jackson sighed, and then replied, "Copy that." He hesitated a moment before saying, "Spartan Three, were there any Supply Caches hit recently? Over." There was silence for about a minute, concerning Jackson. Confused, he repeated, "Spartan Three, do you copy? Over."

"Just a moment, Spartan Three. Over."

Jackson immediately noticed the urgent tone of his voice, and motioned for Bull to come listen in as well. After about three more Minutes passed, the Radio crackled back to life, but this time, a new voice.

"Fox Den, this is Peter Jacobs, lead Intelligence Agent here at base, repeat, what kind of weaponry did you find? Over."

"Uh, it seems to be mostly American, Got a few cases of M4A1's, a few M16's, Berettas, A few M67's, even an AT4 and a shit ton of ammo. Over."

"What about a small cylindrical case? Over."

Jackson sighed over the Mic, and said, "Yeah, we found the case. Don't worry, there's nothing inside it."

"Oh my God…" was the only response he got before the Radio went dead. With a new sense of dread taking over him, his head snapped up to look at Bull, who had a look of realization written on his face. A moment later, it dawned on Jackson, too.

The case was empty; so where was the nuke?

He tried the Radio several more times before giving up. He called out over their squad radio for Joyce to come down the hill and meet up with them again, and a minute later they were grouped up next to the Hostages.

"You're sure? Did they say that?" Granger asked.

"No, but they didn't not say it… they didn't respond, and the Radio has gone dead." Bull responded, at which point all the members had been filled in on the situation.

"Holy shit… so the Taliban got themselves a Nuclear bomb?" Joyce asked, but no-one responded, which in itself, was a response.

They waited 10 minutes for the Helicopter to show up before it arrived. They loaded the Hostages in, but before they took off, the Copilot came out and said, "New orders from HQ! There won't be another Helicopter extract for your team! You've got to take that Transport back to base!"

"With what support?! We won't make it 30 miles before we get ambushed out here!"

"You'll have to make due for a little while, I've been told to inform you that there are going to be two Sea Stallions dropping Two Armed HMMWV's about 15 miles south! That's all you've got! Now we've got to go!"

He slid the door closed and the Helicopter was gone as fast as it arrived. He turned to his squad, stunned at the outcome of today's events.

"Well, guys… New orders. We've got to get that heap of ammo and guns back to base."

"What?! But that's more than 270 miles! I doubt that thing has enough gas to get that far, plus, we've got no support!"

"Well, I guess they're dropping a few armored Humvees about 15 miles from here, plus, I'm pretty sure there was plenty of fuel in the back of the truck. Plus, we can siphon from these other vehicles. I don't like it either, but we've got orders. Let's get too it!" He ordered.

Two Hours Later

They managed to scrounge together around 73 gallons of fuel at the convoy, but later found out they didn't need too, as the Humvees came in loaded with fuel, about 65 gallons… and armed with M2 .50 Cal machine guns with armored, rotating platform.

Jackson was in the first Humvee with Granger on the gun. Joyce was driving the Transport, and Bull and Cooper drove the last Humvee. Joyce was exhausted from the trip so far, and became a bit dull. That didn't last for a moment when an explosion rang out, blinding him temporarily.

When his vision cleared, he saw that Jackson's Humvee had hit an IED, throwing Granger from the gunner position. Joyce hit the brakes and jumped out. He ran up and pulled on the door, but it didn't budge. He stopped when he looked in the window and saw Jackson's blank, forward stare. He was dead.

For a moment, Joyce was stunned. However, he soon reacted, and ran to see Granger's condition.

"Shit…" He mumbled when he saw Granger laying in a pool of his own blood in the sand, while Cooper, the squad medic, slowly stood while sadly shaking his head. It took most of his willpower to keep himself together. Loosing two team mates; his brothers, was almost too much for him.

He snapped out when he realized something else; He was now squad leader. Bull came out, and took one look at Granger before running over to him, yelling, "Noooo!" But the two pulled him back, saying, "There's nothing you can do! We've got to keep moving!"

"We aren't leaving them behind! Not without burying them first!" Bull shouted, but Joyce quickly hit his face and yelled, "No! I'm in command now! I… I don't want to either… but we have to keep moving! Otherwise we'll end up no better off than they are!"

Bull had calmed down, and the two released him, but I never took his eyes off them. After a few seconds, Bull asked, "Can we spare a gallon of fuel to burn them?"

Joyce considered it, then nodded silently.

Several minutes later, with two sets of Dog Tags in his pocket, and a plume of smoke rising behind them, Joyce was driving the truck down the road again, this time much more aware. And that was when he noticed something odd.

Where the hell were all the Taliban? There should have been plenty in the area to hear not only the gunfight and see the Helicopter, but also the IED. And yet, they still encountered nothing. He called it out on the radio, "Hey, guys, where do you think all th-"

He was interrupted by an odd sensation, and the next 30 seconds were a blur. The hair on his arms and neck stood on end, and the temperature suddenly shifted as a blinding flash caused him to cover his eyes.

He didn't even think, and took a hard right into the desert, driving away from the blast. He was racing against fate, and he was sure to loose. The temperature rose consistently higher, and he hoped he could outrun the wave of destruction behind him.

He looked in the mirror just in time to see the wave of fire.

Heat. Immense Pain. Half a scream.

Nothing.

Then darkness, and from that darkness came comfort. And then a voice…

"You're time on Earth has ended, sadly, but you're still needed in another one."

Confused, Joyce put all the effort he could into saying, "What?"

"You're still needed to save this world. The inhabitants may not know it, and at times, you may not know it either, but you will soon enough."

This time it was easier to speak, and he asked, "But what do I do?"

"That's for you to decide. This is your path now, make of it what you will. The lives of millions are in the hands of you and your friends."

Then nothing again.

Soon, a new Darkness overcame him, but it was much less comfortable than the last one. A moment later, he opened his eyes. Towering above his viewpoint, were massive trees, and he guessed that because of the lack of sunlight, that it had a thick canopy. Despite the lack of sunlight, everything was green and lively, and very colorful.

After letting out a wheezing cough, Joyce slowly pushed himself back against the seat, accidentally hitting the horn in the process, startling himself. As he did so, he also heard a loud groan From somewhere behind and to the right. He didn't stop to think, and opened the door and jumped out. The ground was soft, but it still hadn't occurred to Joyce that he had drastically changed environments, as he foccused on finding the source of the groan, hoping it was one of his team mates. 'I can't be alone here…' He thought desperately.

The second he rounded the corner, he saw the Humvee straddling a fallen tree, but it was intact. He also saw Cooper slumped at the steering wheel, but the gunner position, where Bull had been, was empty. He decided to help Cooper out first, and took a step forward.

Immediately, he felt the hard surface beneath his foot, and heard the cry of pain as he stepped on Bull's chest.

"Oh shit, sorry Bull…" Joyce said, to which the only response he got was a glare from a now very conscious, and quite pissed, Bull. He simply offered his hand to him, and helped him up off the ground. The two then moved to help Cooper, who was just starting to wake up when they opened the door.

Cooper immediately reached for the pistol next to him, but Joyce grabbed his shoulder firmly, and said, "Relax, its us."

He sighed loudly, and said in a relieved tone, "Shit dude, I almost shot you."

"No you didn't." Joyce replied with a smile. However, the smile dissapeared, and he quickly began looking around. The others then noticed it as well.

"Where the fuck are we…?" Bull mumbled.

"I have no idea…" Joyce responded, but then remembered the "dream" he had, and asked, "Wait, did either of you have a voice talk to you while you were out?"

Realisation dominated their features, as the true gravity of the situation set in. And they both nodded…

"What the Hell do we do now?" Cooper asked, to which Joyce responded, "I don't know… I guess we'll just have to make this up as we go, but first, let's get these vehicles moving. After that, maybe we can search for some sort of Civilization." He then looked around at the surrounding trees, ensuring the vehicles could get between them. Within a few minutes, they had the Humvee unstuck, and were on the move, albeit very slowly, as they weaved through the trees, completely oblivious to the pair of eyes watching them intently, a burning hatred within them…

Three Days Later…

They had come across a small, lightly used trail that was just barely wide enough for the two vehicles to drive side-by-side if needed, but they were currently in a file. Progress was slow, and the path was exceptionally bumpy and uncomfortable. Joyce had had enough of the bumpy traveling, and spoke into his radio, "Ok, break time, let's stop here for a few minutes."

"Thank God, I have to take a piss." Was the response he got, making him smile. He hit the brakes, put it in park, and turned the engine off before opening the door and jumping out. He stretched his stiff and aching muscles, and let his arms fall limply to his side, and watched the other two do the same, before Bull walked off behind the humvee, and a zipper was heard. Joyce was feeling a bit dull at that moment, but trusted Cooper to keep an eye out for danger.

So far they hadn't hadn't countered anything. Literally NOTHING. No animals, no people, nothing but a few birds chirping in the trees and mosquitos. As Bull finished up, Joyce reluctantly turned around, preparing to get back in the truck, but was interupted by the snap of a stick, which was then followed by a few quiet, angry whispers, probably scolding the one who made the sound.

Joyce immediately gave a signal to Cooper, who then gave a whistle to Bull before leveling his rifle in the direction of the voices. Joyce pointed his rifle in the same direction, while Cooper scanned the area around them, allowing Bull ample time to get on the turret.

"We know you're there! C'mon out, hands up and no weapons, and no-one gets hurt! Got it?"

It was silent for several seconds before a creature stepped out of a bush, followed by another, and finally by a completely different one. The first two were completely covered in fur, tall, and wore robes. They had a very feline look to them, which Joyce recognized as that of a Cheetah. The other one was a bit smaller, about 5 feet tall, and could only be described with one word…. A Dragon. It was a Dark red orange color, almost like bronze, and had a pair of short horns on the back of its head.

And all three had a mixture of emotions written on their faces; Terror, confusion, and curiosity.

"Are there any more of you hidden in the trees?" Joyce asked, and the first cheerah, obviously the oldest, responded in a surprisingly American sounding, and feminine voice, "No, it's just the three of us…"

Joyce then took notice that the other cheetah was female too, and while the elegant shape of the Dragon was an indication to being female, he had no idea what it was.

"Alright, so, no sudden moves, and we don't have to get violent, ok?"

However, the gender of the Dragon was quite clear when she said, "Why not just kill us now?"

Joyce noticed the hatred in her tone, and then also took notice the burning hatred in her eyes, as she glarred daggers at him.

"Because," He responded, trying to keep his tone as unthreataning as possible, "we don't want to kill you, and I'm not sure why you think we do. There is a peacefull solution here, don't turn this violent."

She didn't look any less angry, but a little less aggressive, so he figured that was progress.

"So what are you kids doing out here? Where are your parents? Do you have a village, maybe? We could use some information about the area and some supplies…"

"Why the hell would we show you our village, Ape? Just so you can burn it to the ground and murder our friends and family!?" One of the cheetahs yelled, but secretly regretted it when she noticed the pure confusion and surprise on their features.

"Uhm… we seem to have bit of a misunderstanding here… we aren't apes, and we have absolutely no desire to kill anyone…"

"Sure you do!" Said a new, and very deep voice from their right, and when Joyce spun around to see a very tall, and very strong, creature. It was covered in a very dark colored fur, but not like the Cheetah's fur, who had soft, long, and colorful fur. This creature's fur was matted and rough, and covered with many scars, and it wore full leather armor and a large sword.

Joyce pointed his rifle at the Ape and commanded, "Stop right there! Put the weapon down, NOW!"

But the Ape only glared at him and tightened his grip on the sword, before saying very darkly, "Is that any way to speak to your Lieutenant?"

"I don't take orders from you." Joyce said softly, causing the Ape to glare at him even angrier.

"Well, regardless of who you take orders from, this is our territory, and we are going to take these prisoners, so why don't you just hand them over to us? Then we can forget this little 'Incident' ever happened." He said, smiling evily the whole time.

Joyce looked over at the three to see that the oldest cheetah was the only one who looked ready to fight, and the other two were frozen, wide eyed in fear. Joyce put it together, and realized from the Dragonesses' earlier retort on destruction and calling him an ape, must mean that these apes were not good people…

"Yeah… Not going to happen. Ever." He said, calmly. The ape Snarled and lunged at him, sword at the ready.

Joyce let off 2 shots, one in the chest, the other in the forehead, and the Ape fell dead at his feet and the sword clattered on a rock. The three other creatures looked stunned. Before they had a chance to react, several other Apes came out of the trees, studying the scene.

Soon they put the pieces together, and looked accusingly at Joyce. Two of the three drew long swords, while the third ran back into the trees and began calling for backup.

The team quickly disspatched the remaining two apes, but then turned to the three creatures, who were still stunned at the quick display of power.

"We gota' go, Now! That ape is gona come back here with who-knows-how many more apes! Where is your village!"

The two cheetahs stumbled for words, but the Dragoness stepped forward and said, "The Village is about a mile through the forest, but if you follow the trail, it's about another 3…"

"Well shit…" Joyce said, thinking furiously, "Well, I don't think you should run back alone… Bull, Cooper, take the vehicles back to the village, but if it comes down to it, ditch the Truck and get on the 50, and we'll go back for it later. I doubt that these apes know what to do with any of that stuff anyways. I'll go back with them."

The two nodded and turned around, but then Bull hesitated a moment, and turned back around and reached into his pocket. He tossed 2 mags to Joyce, who smiled and nodded his appreciation, even though He already had 6 strapped to his Tac Vest.

"Alright, let's go!" He said, before following them into the trees. He heard the trucks start up and speed off, and soon, all he heard was the heavy breathing of the three creatures he ran with, and their running foot steps. Even the birds stopped chirping.

And that was all he heard for about a minute, after that, he began to hear the sounds of their pursuers getting closer. At first, he heard branches snapping, and heavy foot falls, but soon they caught sight of their targets, and began calling out insults such as, "Traitor!" and "Only Weaklings run!"

Then, one of the Cheetahs tripped. Joyce stopped and went back for her, but saw the Apes were already on her, trying to tie her up. Joyce brought up his rifle, and fired several times, killing all three apes that were on her. He ran over and helped her up, and gave her a quick push to get her going. He ducked as an arrow whizzed over his head, and grabbed the Cheetah before diving behind a fallen tree for cover. As he did so, he heard several arrows slam into the back of the trunk. Joyce popped over the top, and fired wildly a few times to get the Apes to stay in cover, while also seeing atleast 19 persuers, the closest one being about 45 feet away. He guessed they had about 35 seconds.

"Shit, we aren't both getting out of here right now," He said, turning to her, seeing her terrified expression, "You are going to run, and I'm going to cover you, got it?"

"But what about you?" She asked, but he shook his head and said, "Don't worry about me, I'll be right behind you! I'm a United States Navy SEAL, I'll be fine!"

She had no idea what that was, he could tell, but she knew with the confidence in which he said it meant that it was significant, so she nodded…. Then, she ran.

Joyce poped back out and fired a few more times, most of the bullets missing, but a few found their targets. He knew this because he heard a few screams of pain. However, the next time he looked out from behind cover, his eyes widened and his breathing momentarily stopped.

There were now many more apes charging through the trees, so many that Joyce couldn't count them all, but he estimated nearly 90 of them.

"Hooooolllllyyy shit…" Joyce mumbled, before standing and firing the rest of his mag into them, taking down atleast 7 more and then tossed a Frag grenade and began running.

And then sprinting. He ran as fast as he could. And then, surprisingly, caught up to the running Cheetah, who was bent over, breathing heavily. He barely stopped running, as he grabbed her, and scooped her into a carrying position and kept right in sprinting. At first she was stunned, but then fought a little bit, which from her point of view was understandable, but Joyce had no patience for it now.

"Stop it, damn it!" He yelled at her, startling her again, but she stopped struggling, and let him carry her.

As she was cradled in his arms, she studied his face. He had stubble on his face, showing a freshly shaven beard. He had a medium sized nose, small ears, and a defined jaw, but what she couldn't help but notice, were his eyes. They were a bright green, and quite beautiful, but that wasn't the catch. On his left eye, just next to the Iris, was a large scar that extended across his eyelids. But it didn't seem to have blinded him. She quickly looked away when he glanced at her, but did catch her staring at him. He would have explained the scar to her… if they weren't running for their lives.

Another arrow whizzed bye, but he couldn't stop for cover this time, as he could hear the dozens of apes right behind them…. So, instead he started weaving through the trees, while keeping as fast a pace as he could.

Then, all of a sudden, he broke the tree line, and saw the village. It must have been of decent size, but Joyce couldn't actually see the buildings because of the big wooden wall around it. It was atleast 20 feet tall… and lined with Cheetah archers.

However, before he could get close, he felt a burning sensation as an arrow ripped through his uniform on his right shoulder, and planted itself low, just below his shoulder blade. He stumbled to the ground, dropping the Cheetah he was carrying with a cry of pain.

"Shit…" He mumbled, before pushing himself back up. The Cheetah quickly looked at his back and gave him a concerned look, but Joyce pushed himself to his feet, and then pushed the Cheetah forward as well, yelling, "Keep going!"

He then turned around and fired a few rounds with deadly precision, taking down 6 more, before he turned around and ran inside the now open gate. Once inside, he heard it slam shut, but didn't hear the sounds of a fight outside, as he keeled over, hands on his knees and breathing heavily. He stayed there for a minute before he recovered, and stood up straight. He was startled when he saw several Cheetahs with bows, arrows notched, drawn, and pointed at him.

"Woah, woah, hold on now…" He said, putting his hands up, but grimaced in pain when the arrow in his shoulder protested the movement.

The same Cheetah he carried over pushed past the archers, and stood infront of him before yelling, "No! He saved my life, and the lives of my sister and Dana!"

They hesitantly put the bows down, and then another Cheetah stepped forward from behind Joyce, "We'll need all the help we can get, anyways. We all saw him kill those other Apes. Plus, if you couldn't see, he was already shot by them… he clearly isn't their ally."

Joyce nodded, and said, "Got that right. But I'm not the only one, there are two more members of my team in a Humvee and truck that should be here soon.

"Ok, well, you go see a healer, we'll hold 'em off-"

But Joyce shook his head and said, "No, I'm fine, I can fight."

The Cheetah looked at him questioningly for a moment, and asked, "You sure? We've got this under control now."

"You sure about that? How many Apes do you think are out there?"

"Uhm, probably around 40 from what I've seen." The Cheetah replied, but Joyce shook his head and said, "Not even close. Try 85 apes, minus what ever my frag took out."

The Cheetah looked less confident now, and Joyce took that as incentive to help. Joyce ran up to a ladder on the wall and clambered up it. Once at the top, he looked out across the field to see the Apes regrouping in the trees. He reached down and spoke into his radio, "Bull, Coop, where you guys at?"

He noticed the Cheetahs were giving him odd looks, but were surprised when the radio crackled to life, and Cooper responded, "We're parked just around the corner, Bull is on the 50, the Truck is parked just behind us. We're locked and loaded. You want us to approach now?"

Joyce thought for a moment, then said, "No, not yet, they don't know you're there, let's try to get the drop on them with the big gun."

The other Cheetahs looked at him, confused, but Joyce ignored them as he unshouldered his rifle and pointed it at the tree line and rested the barrel on top of the wall, and looked through his sight at the gathering apes. He then reached his right arm up to flick on the laser sight on the front of the gun, but groaned in pain as yet again the arrow in his shoulder protested the movement. He then took a step back, and propped his rifle against the wall, and took a deep breath. Then, to the astonishment of the observing Cheetahs, he reached back, and grabbed the base of the arrow, and gave it a light tug, and then, with one quick movement, gave it a twist and a pull, disslodging the arrow from his back. He leaned over with a groan, and was light headed for a moment. He pulled out a bandage and some clean cloth, which he placed in the hole in his shoulder with a grimace and a groan, and then proceeded to wrap the bandage around his shoudler to keep the cloth in place. However, he was having trouble with the knot, and after a moment, a familiar Cheetah walked up and helped him tie it. He turned around and smiled at her and said, "Thank you, miss…?" he hinted for her name, at which she stumbled for a second and said, "Oh… uh, my name is River. And yours…?"

"Well, River, my name is Christopher Joyce, but I go by either Chris or Joyce."

"Well, Chris, thank you for saving my life." She said with a smile, but before Joyce could respond, one of the Cheetahs yelled, "Here they come!"

Joyce quickly grabbed his rifle and resumed his previous position, but froze for a moment when he saw the sheer number of charging apes.

"Where the hell do these things keep coming from?!" He yelled, firing several rounds into the charging mass. He noticed that the loud shots were causing the closest Cheetahs to flinch and look at his rifle, while also trying to accurately fire their arrows.

Joyce tried to ingnore them, as he reached for his radio and spoke into it, "They're charging! Come in fast, and stop right infront of the gate. Fire at will!"

A moment later, he heard engine of the Humvee roar to life, and a moment after that, he saw it charge around the corner of the trees to his left. Both sides stopped dead in their tracks when Bull started firing the .50 Cal, but the Apes began to panic when they realized they were the targets of the man unloading the heavy machine gun into their ranks.

Then, something happened; Bull stopped firing. By this point, the Humvee was stopped just infront of the gate, about 20 feet from Joyce, so he yelled out, "What the Hell happened, Bull?!" To which he responded angrily, "It's fucking Jammed!"

Joyce mumbled a curse before he, against the protests of River, who realized what he was doing, vaulted the wall infront of him, and hit the ground hard, and made a quick sprint to the Humvee. He hit the window three times to signify Cooper to get out and help defend.

"Get that gun working again!" Joyce commanded, and began firing into the regrouped apes, who had realized the heavy gun was down.

Meanwhile, inside the wall, River was speaking with their commander, "Dias, you have to send out the warriors to help them! They won't be able to hold off that many Apes on their own!"

"How do we know they aren't with them? And that this isn't all just a big act?" He retorted ignorantly.

"Have you not been watching this? Not only did one of them save my life, but they have already killed Dozens of apes!"

"Then they should have no problem killing a hundred more. We need not waste our warriors' lives if they will do it for us."

River could not believe how selfish and ignorant Dias was being. She couldn't contain herself any more, and slapped the Cheetah as hard as she could, before walking away. However, what Dias didn't see, was her grabbing two swords on the way out…

As River approached, Dana called out to her, "By the Ancestors, you made it!"

She smiled, and said to her, "Yes, but only because of the odd ape named Christopher Joyce."

"What? Where is he at?" She asked curiously, at which point River dropped the fake attitude and said furiously, "He is out there fighting to defend our village, while Dias has his warriors hide inside here, refusing to help!"

Furious, Dana jumped up from her seat, and began to walk over to the command building, but River stopped her, and said, "Its no use, I've already tried to convince him, but he's stuck in his stubborn ways."

"Well, then what, can we to to help?" Dana asked desperately, at which point River smiled, and threw her a sword, "We fight with them."

Dana smiled debviously, and nodded, before a familiar dark red Dragon landed next to them, and said, "Wait."

River turned to her 'Sister' and said, "No, Sunny, do not try and stop us-" but was interupted by her, "I'm not, I'm joining you." She said with an equally debvious smile.

Back outside the wall, the Apes were now surrounding the team of Navy SEALs, but were not all attacking at once, but rather attacking in small, organized teams of three or four.

Joyce sidestepped left to avoid and overhead strike, and then hit the ape in the face with the stock of his gun, forcing the ape to stumble backwards, and discharged 3 rounds into the Ape's chest. This was the fourth team that Joyce alone had dispatched, and he knew that his squad mates were probably just as knee-deep in ape corpses as he was. But he also felt himself beginning to weaken. He had sustained several more injuries, while none as critical as the arrow, they were beginning to take their toll. While he didn't know how they felt, he could see that his team mates were not faring much better than he. Bull had long since abandoned the .50 and was on the ground engaging in Hand-to-hand combat with his knife and Beretta, which he just used to discharge the last round in the clip with. Joyce knew he could fight to the death, as would his team mates, but as the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but think, 'I'm not ready to die yet…'

He only fought harder after that, but still felt himself weaken further. And just when it seemed most grim, he heard shouts from behind him. When he glanced behind him, he saw three familiar creatures charging forward to help. Joyce smiled, but then felt an extreme sense of dread as he realized none of them were experienced fighters… But he couldn't worry much about it, as another group of apes Engaged him. However, he soon found he didn't have to worry. He saw a number of other Cheetah Warriors charge out of the gate and assist the three girls. Joyce quickly fired twice into one ape, before raising his gun to block the overhead strike of an ape's sword. The ridged, steel surface of the weapon not only withstood the blow, but caught the blade in a stuck position. Joyce then twisted the sword out of the Ape's hand, and did a full 360 spin and hit the ape in the face with his stock. The ape flew back several feet and landed with a thud. Joyce then had to sidestep the next Ape's attack, and as the sword lodged itself in the grassy earth, Joyce grabbed the ape by the forearm, and proceeded to punch the ape in the face several times, until the ape fell over, unconscious. As he turned to the last ape, he also noticed that the gunshots had stopped, and he figured he was facing one of the last, if not the last ape. He smiled, and dropped his rifle, confusing the ape.

"Fair fight." Joyce said, and the ape said nothing, but smiled back, thinking this would be easy.

'Boy is he wrong…' Joyce thought. He didn't specialize in Hand to hand combat, but just like every SEAL, he was trained to be formidable in all areas od combat, and excel in most of them. While he was a great sharpshooter, cool under pressure, a great blade fighter, and a strategist, hand to hand wasn't really his strongest aspect.

But he was still pretty damn good.

The ape struck first with an attempt for a quick blow to the face, but Joyce ducked under it, and came back up with a lightning fast punch to the throat. He felt it connect, and the ape stumbled backwards, clutching his throat and gasping for air. Not allowing him to recover, Joyce quickly kicked the ape in the knee, and with a sickening crack, he saw the Ape's knee bend backwards. Joyce silenced the Ape's cry of agony with a quick, merciful twist of the neck.

Joyce was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder, but before he could react, he heard Bull's voice say with a light laugh, "And here I thought you didn't specialize in Hand to hand."

"Just because it's not my strong suit, doesn't mean I'm not good at it." Joyce replied with a smile.

"Yes, quite impressive." Said a new voice, to which Joyce turned to find the source being what seemed to be an older Cheetah. He had an air of authority about him, and even with age, he seemed a capable warrior, and his eyes betrayed a slight curiosity.

"Thank you." Joyce said, unsure of what to say next. However, it became quite clear, how the conflict would play out, as the Cheetah's eyes went from slight curiosity, to a strong distrust.

"Bind them." The Cheetah said, and several others approached the team, ropes in Hand. Joyce wasn't going to let that happen, however, and raised his rifle, as did his team mates, as they backed towards their Humvee. While doing so, Joyce shouted, "Not going to happen!"

Several cheetahs raised their bows and drew swords, but they all stopped in their tracks, none wanting to fight the skilled warriors.

"C'mon, let's not end it like this! We've all spilt blood on the battlefield together today! I don't know about you, but where I'm from, that makes us Brothers and Sisters in arms! I don't want to kill anyone here… so don't make us!"

The Elder Cheetah glared at him for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, two cheetahs jumped infront of Joyce, hands outstretched, and one yelled, "Wait!"

Surprised, the elder Cheetah hesitated a moment, and asked, "Wh-what are you doing, River?"

"This ape and his team saved my life, as well as my sister and Dana here," she said, gesturing to the Cheetah beside her, confusing Joyce…

"Is this true?" He asked, and Joyce couldn't really tell who he was talking to, so he nodded, and said, "Yes… but…."

"But what?" He demanded.

"But… we aren't Apes. We're Humans. A much evolved version of these Apes we killed here."

"Hmm.." The Cheetah considered, then sighed and said, "Well, I guess you've earned atleast some respect and trust. Come in, you can explain more inside, after you've gotten some food in your bellies, of course."

Joyce smiled broadly and thanked him. Then, ten minutes later, they were sitting around a table inside a large, stone building with steaming piles of roasted meat before them.

They had already moved the truck and Humvee inside the wall, and were now sitting with the Elders of the village, including the Chief, known as Chief Longclaw, who they were talking to earlier.

"So, Human, what are your names, where do you come from, what do you do, and what are you going to do?" He asked, surprising Joyce a little.

He looked to his squad, silently consulting them on his response, and decided honestly was the best course of action right now.

"Well, my name is Joyce, that there is Cooper, and that is Bull, and we are United States Navy SEALs, a Special forces branch of the Navy known for Counter Terrorist Operations around the world, and are considered-"

"Woah, woah, hold on…" Chief Longclaw interrupted, "What in the Ancestors does any of that mean?!"

Joyce gave him a hard look, and said, "Well, I assume your position as Chief means a lot, correct? Lots of blood, sweat, and pain, and demands respect, correct?" Then Chief nodded, unsure of where this was going, "Well, what I Just said, means that from where we come from, we are the best of the best. The Badasses. You need a nail hammered in, we're a fucking sledge hammer coming down on it. So if you want respect, you'll treat us with some, too, and stop interrupting me while I'm speaking."

He looked absolutely stunned. Then became very angry.

"How Dare you speak to me that way! Do you have any idea who I am?!"

"Do you have any idea who we are?" Joyce asked calmly, again surprising the Chief.

"N-no…" He said tentatively, and Joyce could practically see the hole forming in his defensive stubbornness. So, of course, Joyce dug at it.

"Well then let me tell you. In the world we come from, there is a religion of people known as Muslims. Now, granted, not all were bad people. In fact, very few were apart of this group of Radical Muslims, the bad ones. But basically, they wouldn't attack like a normal army. They would strike in populated areas, like restaurants, schools, and businesses, and kill innocent men, women, and especially Children. These are known as Terrorists. No-one was safe, anywhere. They took hostages, strapped bombs to themselves, and killed without mercy."

Everyone in the room, except for the three SEALs, looked shocked, and a few had looks of disbelief.

"So, my country, err… " He paused as he looked for a better word, "… my clan?" He said tentatively, not sure if he chose the right word or not, but was reassured when he saw a few looks of understanding, "Known as the United States, we stepped up to help fight these Terrorists. We've lost tens of thousands of lives to that war, young, old, enlisted and civilian alike."

"But what do you do in this war?" One of the Elders asked, and Joyce recognized him as one of the least trusting Cheetahs, and still held a look of indifference. "We've been fighting the Apes and, previously Malefor, for years! We've lost just as many, if not many more lives!"

"We fight them. We're a Special Warfare branch of the United States Navy, the Naval Combat and transportation branch of our Military. We are Navy SEALs, which stands for Sea, Air, and Land. We are specially trained to not only survive in all environments, but to excel in them."

"Everything?" One asked, skeptically, at which Joyce nodded and replied, "Everything. From deserts, to Jungles, to Mountains, to forests, to grasslands, to frozen tundra's, to urban cities, to Arctic Plains and glaciers."

There was no response, and he only saw a few confused, some stunned, and some still indifferent.

"Anyways, we carry out high risk, and high priority missions, such as Hostage Rescue, Bomb Threats, Takeover's, Reconnaissance, Assassinations, and Search-and-Destroy missions." Immediately after he said that, he could tell none understood everything that he said, but did get the General meaning.

"Ok… So, now we know what you do… But who are you?" Chief Longclaw asked. Joyce hesitated, and they saw his hesitation. Joyce kicked himself mentally for showing it, and responded rather quickly, "You know as much about who I am, as we know who you are."

The Chief nodded, and said, "Fair enough. I'm a father of two beautiful young girls, both of whom you saved today. And my Mate died during the first of Malefor's attacks, twelve years ago. I am 59 years old." But then added loud enough only for Joyce and his daughter, River, who was standing behind him, "And still not a grandfather…" Causing River to smile and swat him on the head lightly. Joyce smiled at the sight, but then became serious, and responded, "Well, I can't tell you about my team mates, not for lack of knowing, mind you, it's their own choice to disclose information like that, but I myself, I can tell you a bit about. I am not married. . er, I have no mate, and no children. My entire family is dead, excluding a Cousin on my Father's side. They were all killed by a Terrorist Suicide bomber during a Family reunion. They all decided to go to a Concert… I don't even remember what the damn thing was about… but, they were at the unlucky few to be in right next to the Lunatic. I only survived because I was away on Duty for a mission. That also happened to be the mission where I lost my entire squad. Mind you, I was not a Navy SEAL at this point, but a simple Grunt. We were on patrol, and we were ambushed. I was the only survivor. They took me, and tortured me for months on end, and I hadn't heard about my family until I was released after five months of brutal torture and starvation. No-one was there to welcome me home but the Scars I got, and the medication they had me on. So, I reenlisted fpr the SEALs two weeks after I got home, wanting payback."

It was dead silent for several minutes, as Joyce refused to look at their faces, knowing he would see only Pity. He was sick of the Pity, he wanted none of it. But, when he finally did look up, he still saw pity on the faces of every single creature, except four of them; His team, who had already heard his story and knew how he felt, Chief Longclaw, and River.

"Well then… I think that's enough story time for now… How about we get some rest?" Longclaw suggested. Joyce then stood up, and nodded his agreement, before walking out the door, followed by his team. However, River soon caught up to him, and lightly grabbed his shoulder, turning him to her.

"Don't you need to know where you'll be sleeping tonight?" She asked, to which Joyce replied, "Oh, I hadn't really anticipated you would give us a place to sleep… We're perfectly fine with setting up a tent and sleeping out here-" But she interrupted him, "Absolutely not, you saved my life, my sister's, and my best friend's, plus countless other villagers. If you had not only helped us, but alerted us to the attack, many, many more would have died. So, no, you will be sleeping in our house tonight."

"You're sure? And your father-"

"Already, though stubbornly, approved the idea." She said with a shy smile that no-one seemed to notice.

"Oh, well… Ok, you show us the way then." Joyce said, and he and his team followed. As they walked towards the center of the village, Joyce took the time to observe not only the buildings, but the villagers themselves. He saw only Cheetahs, but what he found most interesting about them, was the way most looked at them. Angry. Hateful. These people were practically giving them death threats with their eyes alone. River noticed this, and explained, "These people have yet to hear you saved they day. They only know that you look like apes, but also that I'm with you, so they aren't attacking."

Joyce simply nodded his response, and went back to observing. Most of the buildings were made of solid wood, and had stone bases, while others were made almost entirely of stone. He could only see one two story building in the entire village, and they were walking towards it. Sure enough, River led them to the same two story building, which was made of wood, with a stone base set into the earth.

"Here we are." She said cheerily, and opened the door. Stepping inside, Joyce was almost overwhelmed by the sheer number of stimuli within. Not only had Joyce lived so far from Civilization for months now, he was also in one of the harshest environments on earth. Devoid of all pleasant sensations, the Desert he had been in for the last three months had left him with only a distant memory of what a decent, home cooked meal smells like, and the coziness of a warm, welcoming home. Now he was experiencing both, and it was almost too much for him to handle.

There was a warm glow inside that welcomed one inside, and there was furniture very similar to that you would find in a Human home, Joyce realized, seeing a couch, a table, several chairs around it, and even a fireplace on the far right hand wall, that had yet another, smaller table in front of it. And inside this fire, was a cooking pot, and infront of that, was another Female Cheetah, who appeared to be cooking something. Joyce then recognized her as one of the Cheetahs he helped.

'Man, these three just keep popping up everywhere…' He thought, but was torn from his thoughts when she turned and saw them.

"About time you guys showed up!" She then walked over to a set of stairs and called up, "Sunny! Your sister is home!"

This confused Joyce, and he started, "Wait, are you not her si-" But her laugh interrupted him, and she said, "No, but it's a common mistake for new comers. Sunny is her adopted sister, the red Dragoness you saw with us earlier today."

As she finished her sentence, sure enough came down a familiar dark red, almost Bronze colored Dragoness, who was also smiling broadly.

"You made it!" She said cheerfully, but then looked to Dana, who was back to cooking at the fire. Dana noticed the look, and said, "I'm sure you're hungry! River here will show you to your room, so you can get out of that nasty gear before you come back down to eat."

"What do you mean, nasty gear?" Cooper asked, slightly offended, but before she could respond, Joyce did, "Have you looked at yourself recently? We're covered in blood, and have been wearing these for several days."

"What are you saying?" Cooper asked in mock offense, to which Joyce quickly replied, "I'm saying you look and smell like crap."

The three men laughed lightly before walking up the stairs, following Sunny, who had a confused expression. Once inside the room, Joyce noticed several things. The first being the window that he hadn't actually seen from outside. There was also a bed, a desk, and three chairs in the corner. Joyce immediately began to take his armor off, and then his uniform, as did the other two. Joyce reached into his pack and pulled out an extra uniform, and pulled it on before beginning to put away his gear. He realized he would have to wait to clean his rifle later, and then remembered food was being cooked. He rushed down the stairs, and looked around. He saw the Chief sitting at a table with the two other Cheetahs and Dragon already, and then heard his team come down the stairs as well. As Joyce sat down for his first civilized meal, that didn't come in a bag, in three months, he felt a sense of rightness, like he was doing the right thing here. The correct path. He trusted his gut, and his gut said that these were good people, and the ones he was sent here to help by the unknown voice. As if she read his thoughts, River asked, "So, you said something about this place you came from, I've never heard if it…"

"Yeah, because I'm pretty sure we aren't from this world." Joyce stated, rather boldly, and stunned the family. The Chief was the first to recover, "Well… uh, what do you mean…? You must be from this world…"

"I don't think so," Joyce started, "When we were sent here, something called a Nuclear Bomb went off. These things are weapons of mass destruction. It would only take 20 of these bombs to destroy the entire world. Anyways, one went off right next to us, and we should be dead… but we aren't."

"B-But how can that be?" He asked, still confused.

"Well, I'm not sure. But, when we should have been dead, we all had a… dream of sorts, in which a voice told us that our time on Earth had ended, but we are still needed here in this world…" But he could see the question forming, and answered it before it was asked, "No, we don't know exactly what it means."

"Well, I think I know a place we might be able to find out." Dana suggested, catching Joyce's interest, "Oh? And where might this place be?"

"Seven day's ride East of here, the Dragon City of Warfang."

Their father stood abruptly, and said, "Absolutely not! That is far to long and perilous of a journey!"

"But father, we'd have them with us to keep us safe! They just need a guide…" River said.

"Which is why one of our hunters will lead them." He stated. By now, Joyce had already wolfed down his meal, surprising the family, as they looked to see Cooper and Bull had both done the same.

"Well, we can discuss this tomorrow, ok? We've still got some things to take care of before dark." Joyce said, then stood.

"Alright, Coop, you and Bull go get the vehicles over here, and Bull, for the love of god, get that damned 50 unjammed!"

The two men nodded and walked out the door. Joyce walked to the stairs, but paused and said, "Thank you for dinner." And with that, he walked upstairs. Once back in their room, he carefully removed his the upper part of his uniform, and groaned in pain as the hole in his shoulder sent a wave of pain through his body. He pulled a Medical Kit out of the bag, and then proceeded to cut the fabric holding his makeshift bandage in place. As he did so, the bandage fell off, unleashing not only a new wave of pain, but also a great deal of blood. As he felt the hot liquid leave his body and run down his back, he surprised a groan, and opened the Medical bag. He first pulled out a disinfecting spray, and applied it, barely managing to suppress a scream, as his body shuddered.

Then, he realized something bad: when he moved his shoulder, he could still feel something inside… a fragment of the arrow head. He mumbled a curse as he realized he needed to get this bleeding stopped quickly, but he couldn't seal the wound with that fragment still inside him, and he figured Cooper wouldn't be back for almost an hour. He tried to contact them on his radio, but got no response. He sighed, and decided to get it out on his own.

He pulled a piece of thick rope from his bag, and put it in his mouth, and bit down on it in preparation for the pain. He then applied more disinfectant to a pair of tweezers, and attempted to reach behind his back, but failed to get his hand near the wound. Defeated, he called out, "Hey! I could use some help in here, please!"

After a moment, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and then the door opened. He heard a gasp, and then running foot steps… away from him.

"River! Get up here quickly!" He heard Dana yell, and then more running foot steps, but this time to him. He heard another surprised gasp, and turned to see River in the doorway, looking at him.

"I need your help with something…" He said in a flat tone. He noticed her eyes scanning up and down his body, but not in the way one would normally expect, as she traced the scars that went up and down his body. After a moment, she snapped back, and approached, asking, "What's wrong with it?"

"There's a fragment of the arrow still inside, and I can't get it out on my own." He said, handing her the pair of tweezers. She looked at him, and hesitated, "Are you sure…?"

To which Joyce put the rope back in his mouth and nodded before closing his eyes. He twitched slightly when he felt her soft, fur covered fingers touch his back. It was pleasant only for a moment, as she tentatively poked at the wound.

"Ok… here goes nothing." She whispered, and began to dig for the fragment. Joyce tried very hard to be quiet, but couldn't suppress the short cry of pain that resulted when she accidentally touched the muscle for what felt like the 45th time.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to get this… done with…. Quickly!" She shouted abruptly, pulling the tweezers out and laughed triumphantly. Joyce turned and saw the fragment was out, and she was smiling happily. Joyce started to pull more bandages out of the bag, but River's hand stopped him, and she said softly, "Relax, I'm a nurse as well. I can handle this."

Joyce was reluctant, but silently accepted the help. She began to wrap the bandage around his shoulder, but then hesitated a moment. She stood up, and said, "Give me a few minutes, I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, she returned with a pot of hot water and a rag. She set it next to him, and dipped the rag into the water. She placed it in his back, and began to gently clean the blood from around the wound, which had finally clotted and stopped bleeding. At first it was a bit painful, but soon he began to enjoy it. The warm water on his back was soothing, as was the contact between River's soft hands and his back. He flinched occasionally as she carefully wiped away the blood around the wound. After she was satisfied that it was properly cleaned, she put the Gauze Pad over the wound, and wrapped the bandage tightly around his shoulder. Once she was done, she stood and walked infront of him, and he looked up at her from his sitting position, and immediately noticed the concerned look she had.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about it." He reassured her, but she shook her head and replied, "You should have gotten treatment for that much sooner. You could have hurt yourself even more!"

Joyce didn't really know how to explain this to her. So, knowing she would likely not accept any explanation he gave, he simply nodded in agreement and grabbed his uniform before putting it on. When he finished buttoning up the shirt, he looked up to see she was still standing there, studying his uniform. He waited for her to finish looking and ask her question, and after only a few seconds, she pointed to the two patches on his shoulder, and asked, "So what is with the patches on your uniform? What do they mean?"

"Well, one is my Rank, and the other is my Insignia. This Insignia tells other soldiers that I am apart of SEAL Team Nine. The rank patch tells them that I am a Chief Petty Officer."

"I have no idea what any of that means…" she said with a laugh, and Joyce laughed lightly before saying, "That's ok, its not all that important now, anyways."

However, her smile faded as he said that, and she frowned before asking, "So you don't think you'll be able to get back to where you came from?"

Joyce didn't hesitate to answer, "I've got nothing to go back too. I've got no family, no-one waiting for me, and honestly, I don't want to go back."

"But what about your friends? Do they have family? Do they have as reason to go back?"

This caught Joyce off guard. He hesitated, as he realized he had never actually thought about that yet… "Well… I've never actually thought about it..." He stated, to which she responded with, "Well, maybe you ought to think about it."

She was silent for a few moments, then stood from her kneeling position, and put her hand on his shoulder and said, "If you need anything tonight, just ask." And she walked out the door. Joyce picked up his rifle, and began cleaning it. The whole time, he was thinking about what she said. As squad leader, he had complete control over his team… but he also had a responsibility, both to them, and their families, to get them home safely. While that was never an official thing, it was an unspoken rule among all branches of the military. And he wasn't about to break it.

He decided from that point on, he would do everything in his power to make sure they got home, if it was even possible.

Later that night, he had a dream…

He awoke in a strange library, with books floating around, but one in particular caught his attention. It seemed to glow, but yet it absorbed light… Astonished, he approached the purple Book, and gently grabbed it, flipping it over to view the cover.

"Malefor…" He read, it being the only word he could read on the title, as the others seemed to be different languages. He opened the cover, and began flipping through the pages, but he couldn't read any of it… but he could tell what the Pictures meant.

The first picture he saw, was of a large, happy looking, dark purple Dragon, surrounded by four other equally happy dragons; One Red, another Blue, another Green, and another oddly colored yellow and purple Dragon. They seemed to be celebrating something…

The next picture was much less happy. It showed a bunch of terrifying looking apes fighting the same four dragons, who were defending eggs. The same dark purple dragon, although much darker and evil looking in this depiction, was standing over them all, with glowing yellow eyes and an evil, toothy smile. Joyce then noticed that in the background, someone was sneaking away with a small, purple egg, clearly trying to save it. However, the creature was unidentifiable to Joyce, as it remained in shadowy detail, as if it weren't important, only the egg… or no-one was supposed to know who it was.

He had began to study the next picture, when he heard a voice, "Hello, again." He immediately dropped the book, and drew his pistol, and spun around. He saw a large, blueish Dragon standing about 15 feet away from him. The Dragon was sitting calmly on his haunches, seemingly unfazed by the weapon pointed at him. Joyce then realized that he had heard the voice before… when he came here. He slowly lowered the weapon, and asked, "Are you the one who sent us here? Me and my team?"

The Dragon nodded, and said, "I see you've found the book of Malefor."

Joyce turned back to the book, and was surprised to see it hadn't moved an inch, and was floating in place exactly as he left it.

"Is that the name of the Purple Dragon in the Pictures?"

"Yes." He said, and Joyce approached it again, in an attempt to study the Pictures again. However, as he did so, the book snapped closed and flew past him. As Joyce followed the book with his eyes, he saw it land inside a bag at the mysterious Dragon's side.

"You've read quite enough of that book." The dragon said calmly, and then a new book floated towards Joyce, and he continued, "Try this one."

"Magic and Ancestor Powers?" Joyce said as he read the title aloud, and looked quizzically at the Dragon, who said, "It will help you and your friends get home once this is all over with… or before it is over, if you so choose."

Joyce had never even thought about running away from this, but now that the Dragon offered… he was now considering sending home his team mates to their families… and staying behind to finish the mission. The dragon sensed his dilemma, and said, "Choose wisely, and follow your heart. I brought you here because I knew you were the one. Your friends are not needed for you to succeed, but your choice in keeping them here, or sending them home, will have a vital impact on how things play out."

Before Joyce could respond, he awoke. His eyes fluttered open, and he stared at the wooden roof of the house he was in, and sunlight filtered in through the window. As he sat up, he immediately realized he had something new in his hands. It was the book. He stared at it for a moment, astonished. However, he quickly recovered when he heard approaching footsteps. He quickly shoved the book inside his bag and closed it up just as Cooper walked inside, wearing his uniform and half his combat gear.

"Sir." He said with a nod in his direction, before reaching down and picking up his bag, which was already all packed up. Before he could leave, however, Joyce asked, "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere, sir, just waiting on you and getting ready for the day, sir."

The way he was talking baffled Joyce, he wasn't a high enough rank to be called "Sir" and he wasn't the officer of the Team, Jackson was.

"Did something happen?" He asked with a confused frown.

"No, sir. Just woke up earlier and began my day, sir."

Joyce knew something was off, but decided to put it off for now, for he knew Cooper wouldn't lie to him unless it was truly needed. As he walked down the stairs, he felt like something was off… he had no idea, but he was extra careful to keep an eye out for danger. But he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Cooper was tending to Bull's injuries, which consisted mostly of just minor cuts, while River, her father, Dana, and River all sat at the table, eating what looked like breakfast. They all gave him a glance and a quick wave. Including their Father…

Absolutely baffled now, he simply waved back and walked over to Cooper and Bull. As he approached, he noticed something odd…

"Cooper? Aren't you going to stitch that up first?" He asked, as Cooper proceeded to merely place a bandage on a particularly large gash. Then, before Cooper could respond, a Memory popped up with a massive red flag. "And didn't you patch him up yesterday…?"

He watched as Cooper stumbled for words, and then went silent and stared at him.

"What the HELL is going on here?!" Joyce yelled, looking around, and River responded with, "Nothing is going on…"

She sounded so convincing, and Joyce desperately wanted to believe her, but his Gut said otherwise, "No...No! Something is wrong here."

A quiet voice seemed to whisper in his ear, "Fight it…." And he did.

"This isn't real, is it? What is this, a dream?"

Then, Bull picked up his rifle and pointed it at Joyce, and Chief Longclaw picked up his sword and approached Joyce, both chanting, "Don't fight. Remain calm. Don't fight. Remain calm."

Joyce dodged an attack by Bull, who tried to hit him in the face with the stock of his rifle, and Joyce came back with a powerful right hook that connected with his chin. The second his fist connected, everything faded into black.

"You will be mine. One way or another, you will help me destroy the world… Oh, and Allow me to Save your Life. When you wake up, tell them that Malefor has Returned, and is Coming For Warfang City!" was all he heard.

He jolted awake with a cry of surprise, but was immediately pinned down. He looked up and was astonished to see a Large, yellow and purple dragon was holding him down with his wings, seconds away from slitting his throat with a claw…

"Holy Mother of Fuck!" He yelled, taken completely off guard. He heard River say shortly after, "Don't fight them, Joyce! They're only doing this because they don't know you!"

"Well how the HELL am I supposed to let them get to know me if I let them FUCKING KILL ME!?" He yelled back, unable to see where she was.

"Who are you Ape? And what have you done to bewitch these Villagers?!"

"For the last time, we aren't Bewitched!" River cried out. Joyce could hear the anger, desperation, and pain in her voice, but he didn't have time to worry about her, now.

"What have you done with my Team?" He asked, and before the Dragon could respond, he heard, "We're over here, too, Boss… locked up."

He sighed with relief, and began to face the matter at hand.

"My name is Christopher Joyce, I'm a Chief Petty Officer of the Navy SEALs, Team Nine-"

"Shut it! Start making sense, or I will kill you here and now!" The large, green Dragon said in a very deep voice.

"Alright, fine, I'll dumb it down for you, but let's just talk, ok? I'm pretty sure we're all on the same side, here. We are an Elite Special Forces group that specialize in combat in all terrains and environments."

"Who do you work for?"

"The United States of America." He responded simply, but the Dragon's face contorted in confusion, and he called, "Volteer, get in here!"

A few moments later, another Dragon came in, this one being an odd combination of Yellow and purple, and another Dragon from the picture, Joyce realized.

"Yes, Terrador?" the Dragon asked, to which 'Terrador' the large green Dragon questioning him, asked, "Have you ever heard of a 'United States of America' ?"

Volteer was deep in thought for several seconds before he responded, "No, I don't believe so. Why?"

"This Ape was trying to trick me by saying that's who he worked for. Now answer truthfully, Ape!"

"I did," Joyce stated, then nodded his head as best he could to motion towards his shoulder, "You see those patches on my right shoulder?"

Terrador moved his head cautiously to look, and then said, "Yes, what about them?"

"That Flag is what represents my country. You see, in the world I come from, we don't have clans or villages, we have massive countries that are made up by Millions, if not hundreds of millions of people. My Country, The United States of America, was one of the biggest, and most powerful in the world."

"Then why haven't we every heard of it?" Terrador asked accusingly.

"Because I'm not from this world." Joyce responded, and saw the anger building in the Dragon's features, so he continued, "I'm not lying. Think about it. Have you ever seen another creature that looks like I do? Even the Apes here don't resemble me accurately. Have you ever seen our weaponry, before? Or our vehicles? Or even our clothing and armor. Everything about us is far more advanced than this world, so why would it make sense that we came from this world?"

The dragon only became more angry, and brought his claw up with a growl. However, before the Dragon could do more than that, Volteer jumped forward and put a paw on the Dragon's shoulder and said, "Wait, Terrador… it does make sense. While it's very unlikely… it's also quite possible. We should consult others first."

Terrador looked reluctant, but he slowly backed off of Joyce, who stood up. He was abruptly thrown backwards into a Cell, and hit the hard Stone wall hard, and landed with a grunt. Trying to contain his anger, he slowly pushed himself up, and saw the two dragons walking out. Just before they did, however, he remembered the dream he had, and quickly called out, "Hey! Someone told me to tell you that Malefor has returned!"

Both dragons immediately turned around and looked at him, terrified. Confused, Joyce was going to ask who he was, but the two turned and ran down the hallway. He looked around to find he was alone in the cell, so he asked, "Where are you guys at?"

"Next cell down, on your right." Cooper said.

"Is it true?" River asked, sounding terrified as well.

"Is what true?" He asked, still having no idea who Malefor was.

"Is Malefor back?" she asked, to which he responded, "I think so, I think he tried to trap me in some sort of dream state, but he failed. He said to tell them he had returned. Who Is this Malefor guy, anyway?"

"He is the Dark Master, the one who tried to destroy the world several decades ago. But Spyro, the Legendary People Dragon, and Cynder, both stopped him." Said a new voice from the doorway. Joyce hasn't noticed the large, blue Dragon walk in, with the two earlier dragons not far behind, and he continued, "Tell us everything you know, Ape, and maybe we'll cut you a deal."

"Ape? Deal? What the Hell do you think is going on here?!" Joyce asked, but more demanded, and continued with, "I am NOT an ape! Look at me, damn it! If anything, I look more like the Cheetahs than the Apes!"

"But you've got no fur, the Cheetahs do."

"So do the apes." He countered, at which the Dragon snorted and said, "I say we just kill them know, and be done with it."

"Why so fast to violence, Terrador? We can't solve every problem by killing something. Plus, if what he says is true, then we'll need all the help we can get."

"But what if he's with them? With Malefor? How else would he know Malefor had returned?"

Joyce saw an opportunity to jump in, and said, "He tried to trap me in a dream state, or something like it, but failed to do so. He then said something about me being his soon, and then to tell you when I woke up to say he had returned. Plus, me and my team have already killed almost 100 apes, plus one of their Lieutenants."

They looked a little dumbstruck, and didn't respond for several seconds, so River added in, "Its true! The corpses are just outside the Village! And you can tell we didn't kill them, because those aren't arrow wounds, they are…"

"Bullet Holes." Joyce filled in for her. He saw them consider it, then Terrador said, "I'll go check it out, see if it's true."

Joyce then rested his hand on his side, and immediately felt the Grip of his Side arm still at his hip. He gently ran his fingers over the grip, but then brought his hand away, as to avoid drawing attention to the obviously unknown weapon. Nearly an hour of silence later, Terrador walked in, carrying one of the Ape Corpses. Holding it in one paw, he held it up and pointed to a single bullet hole in its chest, and asked, "Is that a bullet hole?"

Joyce nodded.

"How do we know these were your weapons?" Terrador asked with a curious glance. Joyce smiled, and said nothing as he drew his pistol and fired once into the Ape's dead corpse again, startling all three dragons. At first, they were ready to attack, but Joyce quickly holstered the weapon, and pointed at the body and said, "Take a Look." And sure enough, a mere inch away from the original hole, was another, albeit slightly smaller, bullet hole."

At first they looked astonished, but then quite embarrassed, as the large blue Dragon stepped forward and unlocked both cells, freeing all of them. With a sincere smile, he apologized, "I am truly sorry about that, we were just being cautious, is all. My name is Cyril, that is Terrador, and that is Volteer."

"Alright, apology accepted. My name is Christopher Joyce, that is Bull and Cooper, my team mates. That is River, and her friend Dana." He then looked around, noticing the absence of another member, "Where is River's sister?"

"Back at the Village." River responded.

"Wait, are we not at the Village anymore?" Joyce asked, to which yet another new voice responded, "No, you're at the Dragon City of Warfang."

Joyce turned to see two new dragons walk in, one purple, the other black. While they were only a fraction of the size of the other three dragons, Joyce immediately noticed the immense power they both held just by the air around them, the way in which they carried themselves, and the respect all three other dragons looked at them with.

But then something new threw Joyce off a little. The dragon smiled warmly at him, and said with an equally warm and cheery voice, "Welcome to our City. My name is Spyro, and this is my mate, Cynder." As he said this, Cynder smiled as well, but a little less sincere, and she had a look of cautious distrust in her eyes; almost like she wanted to trust them, but also didn't think she could.

"Thank you." Joyce responded with a smile, and then asked, "So I presume you heard our introduction?"

"Yes, we did, Christopher Joyce." He responded.

"Oh, please, I just go by Chris, or Joyce."

"Well, which would you prefer? And what of your Team mates? Do they have preferred names?" He asked curiously.

"Well, it depends. If we're in a combat situation, or anywhere that isn't safe, call me by Joyce. If we're not, you can use Chris." He said, hoping he would catch on to his inference on if this place was safe.

"Well, Chris, you have my apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Joyce then looked at Bull, silently asking if he wanted to share anything. Bull nodded, and stepped forward, "My name isn't really Bull, it's just a code name that is used, but it's just been so long, that that's just kinda become my name. But, my full name is actually Dillan Hamrick. Just as Chris had, I prefer you call me by Bull during combat situations and in unsafe places, but can call me Dillan anywhere else."

"Alright, thank you Dillan." Spyro said with a nod. Cooper then stepped forward as well, and stated, "Cooper is also just a code name that I've had for so long, but I would prefer you still just use Cooper."

"Ok, will do." Spyro said, a little curious. It was silent for a few moments.

"So… can we go somewhere… more comfortable to discuss?" River asked, to which Cyril responded, "Ah, of course. Spyro, please lead them one of the Private Dining rooms. We will follow shortly, we just need to get a few things out of the way first."

Spyro nodded, and, with Cynder at his side, turned and walked out the door with Chris, Dillan, Cooper, River, and Dana in tow. The moment they walked out the door, Chris immediately took notice of the other rooms, which must have all contained similar cells. The hallway was made of stone, and while it was dry and moderately clean, it was still cold and a bit dark. As they walked, their boots thudding loudly on the stone, they passed several guards. Apon seeing the three humans, they were on alert, but they could also see Spyro and Cynder with them, so they didn't interfere. But that didn't stop them from eyeing them warily. Soon, they ascended a set of stairs, and came into a much nicer area. They had clearly left the dungeons, now.

The floor was made of smooth granite, and the walls were painted vividly. The roof was high, rising a good 30 feet above Chris. The doorways were also quite large, but most of them didn't contain any actual doors, just the frame. After a solid ten minutes of walking and odd looks from other creatures that Chris had never seen before, they finally stopped in front of a large, wooden door. As Spyro pushed open the door, they stepped inside. It was a Large room, with an equally large table surrounded by chairs, and there was a roaring fire on the opposite side of the room, throwing shadows and producing a comforting warmth.

As they sat down around the table, Spyro asked, "Would you like any food? We can have it cooked and brought to you while we await the Guardians."

Chris paused for a second at the unfamiliar term, but then rationalized that the three large dragons from before must be called that. He hesitated in his answer, and looked at Cooper and Dillan, who both shrugged.

"I could eat." Dillan said, to which Copper added, "You're always hungry."

"Why do you think my code name was Bull?" He said, and the three men chuckled. Chris turned to Spyro, and said, "Yeah, I think we could use something to eat. Meat, preferably, and cooked, please."

Spyro nodded, and left the room, leaving Cynder behind. She looked very uncomfortable around them, and Chris wasn't sure if he should talk to her or not. So, instead he turned to River, but was surprised to see she was glaring daggers at Cynder. Chris gently jabbed her with his elbow, and whispered, "Something wrong?"

She looked at him, and the look disappeared immediately, and she said, "No, nothing is wrong."

Chris gave her a look of disbelief, and asked, "Are you sure?" to which she only nodded her response, which only confirmed his belief that something was wrong. Before he could press her, Spyro came back in, towing a cart behind him. On that cart, was something Chris hasn't seen in a very long time; a shit load of steaming, juicy, fresh meat.

"Oooohhh hoo hoo!" was the noise Cooper made when he saw it, and the amazing smell filled the room. They all dug in, eating their fill of the juicy meat. It was nearly two hours passed before all three Guardians returned, but in everyone's opinion, it was well worth the wait.

The second they opened the door, both River's father and sister ran in the door, and right to her, both hugging her and talking excitedly. Terrador also set the three human's backpacks and weapons on the table. The three humans immediately stood and began to claim their bags and weapons. They quickly checked their weapons, as well, pulling the mags and checking ammo, as well as testing their sights, lasers, and flashlights. Once they were done they set their rifles on the table, and bags next to their seats, and sat down. The three humans sat together, with Chris on the left side. Next to Chris, was River, then her father, then sister, and then Dana. Across the table sat Spyro and Cynder, as well as the Guardians, but none of them used chairs.

"Alright, so, we have many things to discuss." Terrador started, and River's father responded very angrily, "Yes, we do! To start, why don't you explain why you came into my village, stole My Daughter and her best friend, as well as three guests of honor from my household!"

All three looked quite embarrassed, and he even noticed that Spyro had a look of displeasure.

"Well, we had received and anonymous tip that three apes had infiltrated the Village. We went in that night, and spotted them through the window. We took action, and attempted to subdue the two conscious ones, when your daughter and her friend came in and began fighting as well. We had no choice but to take them all."

River's father clearly was not satisfied by this answer, and said angrily, "You could have asked!"

But Terrador shook his head and Cyril said, "You have to understand why we did what we did. Yes, we know now it was a mistake, and what's happened has happened. Let's learn from it, and move on."

Her father looked as angry as ever, but River quickly placed a hand on his shoulder and said quietly, "Father, relax, no-one got hurt, and we're all safe now. Let's move on."

He closed his eyes a moment and let out a breath and nodded. Cyril took this as indication to move on, and said in an urgent voice, "Now, we have much more urgent matters to attend too. You said you were visited by Malefor in a dream?"

River's father turned quickly towards him, and mumbled something, but Chris responded, "Well, I never said that, but I think it's likely it was him. I was in a sort of dream state… but I didn't feel like I was dreaming. I only realized something was wrong, because of some minor details I think he hoped I wouldn't notice. Before I woke up, he told me to tell you that Malefor has Returned, and is coming for Warfang."

They were all shocked at the news, but none more than Cynder. Chris could see it; She dreaded this Malefor Dragon more than anyone or anything in the world. So, Chris asked again, "Who is this Malefor?"

"Well, we already told you a bit about him… but, I guess you should know more." Cyril said, before Spyro took over, "He lead armies of evil creatures, and corrupted minds of good ones to fight for him. His goal was to destroy the world. But, Cynder and I, after years of fighting him, finally won, and defeated him."

Chris took this in, and then asked, "But now he's back? How?"

"I…. Well, we don't know. We didn't even know he was back…" Spyro responded. Joyce sighed loudly, and ran a hand through his hair. As he did so, a thought crossed his mind, 'Wow, getting too long, gota cut it soon…' he shook his mind free of the random, and useless thought, and attempted to engage the problem at hand.

"We need to get ahead of this before he gets powerful again!" Terrador said.

"Well, me and my team can do some recon, maybe find this guy or maybe his camp."

"Good, but how?" Volteer asked curiously, to which Joyce responded with a smile, and asked, "Can you get us back to the Village?"

Half an hour later, they landed at the Village Square, and Joyce jumped off the Dragon's back. He immediately told Cooper and Bull to get their vehicles ready, while he gathered the gear they left at the house. As he approached, he was astonished to see that half the roof has been ripped off…

"Sheesh, could you guys have been at all discreet?" He asked, then realized only River was following him. He turned a little red, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Oh, uh… I thought they were… uh-"

"Yeah, I know." She said with an amused chuckle, then walked past him, towards the house. Joyce couldn't help but notice as she walked she was deliberately moving her hips. He was captivated only for a moment, before snapping back.

'No….' He thought, and continued walking forward, eyes locked on the house… little did he know that she knew where his eyes were going…

Once inside, Joyce ran up the stairs, and began to pack up their bed rolls, as well as clean up their miscellaneous trash. But, he stopped himself once he realized half the roof was gone, and debris was everywhere. He sighed audibly, and walked back down the stairs, looking for River. As he came down, he called out, "River? Do you have a broom or something I could use to clean this mess up here with?"

As he turned the corner, he saw she was not there. He was confused because of two reasons; he didn't hear her walk up the stairs, nor did he head the door squeak, signaling she may have left. He investigated cautiously, hand on his sidearm, as he advanced slowly towards the other end of the room, searching every corner as he went. There was a door on the Right hand side that looked like it should either lead to a basement, or a room underneath the stairs.

"River?" He called, before slowly opening the door. As he did so, it quickly swung outwards, and out popped River, who quickly grabbed him, and pulled him inside the room before closing the door. Once inside, his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light produced by a single candle. Taken completely off guard, River was easily able to push him against a wall, and put her face within inches of his.

"Uhhh, River? What are you doing?!" He asked her, and she responded, "I don't expect you to understand, but just know that I already like you, borderline love you, because you've already saved my life twice. I don't truly know you… but I also know you completely. More than that, I understand you. I don't expect you to like me the same, but I know you're interested, too, so I urge you, please give us a chance. I know its weird, but like you said yourself, you resemble Cheetahs more than Apes, so who knows… maybe it'll work out."

Joyce was absolutely stunned, and struggled to respond, "I, uh… I, uhm, well…" before he could continue, he noticed the desperation in her eyes, and decided to answer with, "Let me think about it."

He saw the hope ignite in her eyes, and she smiled before pecking him on the cheek once and releasing him. Then, as she stepped back, a broom seemingly materialized in her hands, and she handed it to him.

"No no no, too late for that now," Joyce said, "I've got to get moving." And as he said it, he heard the Humvee pull up out front. As he walked out of the house, Bull threw him a fully loaded vest and pack, which he easily caught, while Cooper inspected his own gear. Joyce could see that his pack was stuffed full of Medical supplies, like Quick-clot bandages and packets, Disinfectant, Elastic Bandages, Tourniquets, a few blood packs, and a bunch of other stuff that probably only Cooper would know how to use. Joyce and Bull were trained in basic medical, but not nearly as advanced as Cooper's medical training was. Bull loaded up a few of the Gas cans into the back and closed the trunk before jumping in his typical gunner's seat. Cooper followed suit, and got in the Driver's seat, and Joyce was going to get in the Passenger seat, when a voice stopped him, "Wait! We're coming with you."

Joyce turned to see Spyro and Cynder gliding over to them.

"What?" Joyce asked, confused, "We've got no room left in here."

"We can fly." Cynder pointed out, but Joyce shook his head, but before he could reply, a thought occurred to him.

"Ok, fine. You'll be our over watch. But if you see anything, and I mean ANYTHING hinting towards enemy contact, you land and let us know. Got it?" He saw that Spyro was reluctant to answer, and was not used to taking commands like that, so he added, "I understand you are a capable fighter, but this is our Op, and you will listen to us."

Seeing A little more compassion in the human, Spyro agreed to the terms.

"Alright, let's roll out!"

 **Hope you liked it, leme know what you think, leave reviews, and Chapter 2 will be here shortly!**


	3. Chapter 2

**By The way, I kinda forgot to explain at The end of last chapter, close to the end there, I thought about doing a thing where their first names were used when they weren't in a dangerous area, but found it was really weird…. And stopped… and didn't want to go back and fix it all… sorry about that… anyways, I also did something else in this Chapter that I'm not so sure about… So, I wanted to include The Wolf race in this story, and while I can find plenty of evidence that they certainly existed in The world of Spyro, I cannot seem to find any information on them such as History, customs, culture, etc. nor any pictures of what they look like…. So, I've basically made this up, and this does not truly belong in The world of Spyro. Unless anyone can point me in The direction of a reliable source of information about them, I am going to stick with what I've got.**

 **One more thing, I've no idea why, but recently Word has started to autocorrect "He" to "I" so unless you see I in quotations, it's probably supposed to be He.**

 **Another Message, sorry this wait was so damned long! I got a bit busy with some stuff… Such as Joining The Army… I know I said I was going into The navy, but a friend of my mother's who was a Navy SEAL actually recommended that I NOT join The Navy… So, I'm joining the Army as a Cavalry Scout for three years before I Apply for the Rangers… and that is what I've been so busy with!**

 **Another thing, I was in The mood one of those nights I was working on this, so there will be a number of quotes that I looked up online, but one important one that I did not have to look up, but either way I will name The speakers for all of them at The bottom.**

The guard on Duty, named Max, was of average size for a Cheetah, at 5 foot 10 inches. He was a dark colored Cheetah, and while technically his fur was brown, it was too dark to be considered it. He was skinny, but not scrawny, like most other Cheetahs thought. But, they were always mistaken. He was skinny, sure, but what was on his bones was entirely muscle; not an ounce of fat on him. While he thought it was the ideal body, others disagreed…

Nonetheless, here he was on Guard Duty. He was bored, and his mind began to drift off, and he thought about the creatures, or rather Humans, that entered their Village a matter of weeks ago. That day of fighting, while most of the warriors deny it, he was able to swallow his pride and come to terms with the fact that those humans saved their village.

"Man, I wish I had the chance to thank them…" he thought aloud. Almost on cue, he heard that faintly distinct sound of the contraptions the Humans left the village in less than two weeks ago. Concerned, he called to his partner, who was inside at the base of the wall, and told him to open the gate. When he asked why, Max jumped down and began opening it himself. Thankfully, while his partner protested, he didn't try to stop him.

Almost a second after he opened it, their vehicle flew past and inside the village. Spyro came in just behind them, and he yelled, "Close that gate! And wake all your warriors!"

Max didn't stop to ask why, and ran to do what he said.

Minutes later, the village was in absolute chaos, with warriors running around, and the Chief, most of the elders, River, Sunny, and Dana, were speaking with Cooper as he tried to keep Bull from bleeding to death. Both of them looked like shit, but what concerned them most, was the fact that there were only two of them….

"Wh-where is Joyce?"

Cooper froze for a few seconds, then turned to face River, who asked the question, and said shakilly, "H-he didn't…. He-"

"He's dead." Said a new voice, to which she turned to see a Female wolf standing there, on the brink of tears, and dozens more following her.

Four Days Earlier

Joyce crawled on his belly through the grass, toward the top of a small hill over looking the newfound Ape Camp. He knew Cooper wasn't far behind him, nor was Spyro, but both Bull and Cynder stayed back at the truck to watch their backs.

As he came to the top, he was tempted to whistle softly, as he was quite impressed at the sight. However, because he didn't, Spyro did, causing both of them to cringe and scold the young Dragon. Meanwhile, the camp itself, Joyce had taken notice, was nothing more than a few camps outside the massive Fortress lain into the side of a cliff. They were following the smoke of those camps outside, but had no idea it would lead them too this.

"Get a good look at it while you can, we've gota move before they spot us." Joyce whispered, then proceeded to take in every detail he could. It was massive…. Atleast 200 feet up, there were several lookout posts and Combat platforms, made to fire arrows down into attacks, as well as drop boulders and probably boiling water. There was a massive main door down the middle of it, but Joyce noticed that they Apes were not actually using this entrance, but rather a small door about 45 feet to the right, carved into the door.

So the fortress isn't theirs… they had to break in, and still haven't gotten the main door open' he thought. They spent only a few more minutes watching, when Joyce motioned to back away. Joyce was about to do so, but was stopped when Spyro suddenly started crawling forward again. Joyce followed him, and asked quietly, "What do you see?"

He didn't reply, but rather lifted his wing and pointed, and Joyce followed it, and then saw what got his attention…

Walking slowly towards the fortress, was a file of prisoners being ushered on by Apes. They consisted mostly of Cheetahs, but there were a few Mole looking creatures, as well as a young, bright pink dragoness. But what concerned Joyce, was the fact that Spyro gasped when he saw the dragoness.

Joyce again motioned for everyone to back away from the edge. Once they were a good distance away, and were covered by the trees, they stood, and Joyce asked, "Do you know that Dragon?"

"Yes… it's a long story… her name is Ember. We need to get all of them out of there! Especially Ember, she was working with our Intelligence Gathering group. If they've got her, who knows what they could get from her? Or who else they have from her group?"

Joyce Sighed, and said, "Ok, fine. Let's head back, we'll rearm, make a plan, and come back later to save them."

Spyro nodded, and they began their trek back to the truck.

Meanwhile, back at the truck Cynder was trying awkwardly to start conversation with Bull.

"So… you guys seem unusually comfortable living with Dragons and Cheetahs, considering from what you've told us, that they don't exist where you're from…"

Bull scoffed lightly, and fidgeted on the log he was using as a seat, and replied, "Well, I mean, the only place we are truly comfortable is home… but we spend so much time in being uncomfortable, that I guess we just don't show it anymore. Plus, we were kinda trained to be like that…."

"So you are uncomfortable?" she asked.

Bull looked at her, and shot back, "Are you?"

She was surprised, then looked down as she realized his point, "Oh, I see your point….. sorry, stupid question."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm a trained soldier, I tend to be a bit direct sometimes, and forget who I'm talking too."

"You don't talk regularly with creatures who aren't soldiers?"

"No, not really… we don't talk with the locals much. They don't like us, they don't want us to be there."

"Then why are you there?" She asked, curious, to which he replied, "We do it for our families. Sure, they're half a world away, but that's a good thing." He saw her quizzical look, so he explained, "Because if we're fighting them over here, it means they're nowhere near our families."

"But neither are you." She said sadly, to which he replied without hesitation, "I'm willing to suffer that, because it means they're safe."

A twig snapped, as Joyce walked back into camp with the others just behind him.

"Alright, Story time's over, Gather round." He called. Once they were all there, he explained the situation.

"Alright, so, recon revealed that this is no ape camp, this is a Fortress that they've taken over, but we have no idea who they took it from, or how big not only their numbers are, but the fortress and it's layout."

"Wait, how could you tell they took it over?" Spyro asked, to which Cooper replied, "They weren't using the entrance, they had a small entrance carved to the side."

"Meaning," Joyce clarified, "They can't get the door open."

"Ah, ok… so how do we get in?" Spyro asked, to which Joyce shrugged.

"You can ask nicely." Said a feminine Voice from behind them. Joyce spun around, but froze when he saw a number of bows with arrows noticed, drawn, and pointed at the small group. He was baffled by what he saw; they were large… anthropomorphic… wolves.

Spyro snarled at them, and said with hatred, "Wolves… they betrayed the world, and did things almost as unspeakable as the apes."

"No, not all of us." The female wolf said, and stepped forward and placed a hand on one other wolf's shoulder. At which point all of them lowered their weapons, and visibly relaxed.

"We were apart of a culture that separated ourselves from the world, and when we heard what most of our kind had done… we isolated ourselves even further. We closed our doors, and we lived a peaceful life… until Malefor and his armies came knocking on our gate. We knew they couldn't get in, so we just let them sit out there. But Malefor's corruption reached far and wide… and one night, one of our guards let them in…" she paused a moment, and looked at the ground. When she looked back up, she had the look that Joyce recognized all to well. She had seen some serious shit, he realized, as she continued her story, "It was a slaughter. Before that night, we had a population of more than 9,000 wolves… now, 387 of us remain."

"Wow…" Joyce whispered, "I'm sorry… that's…. That's rough. I know how it feels to loose people."

She actually looked on the verge of tears… then Joyce realized; She was. She looked behind him, and saw more sad faces… and the dam broke… she began to softly sob, and put a paw over her snout to try and muffle them, but to no avail. She looked at him, and Joyce saw the look in her eyes, and realized what was coming next. Before he could do anything to prevent it, she threw her arms around him, and leaned into him. Confused, he looked at the several armed wolves behind her, and his confusion only reached another level. He saw looks of slight embarrassment, but also looks of envy and borderline jealousy. However, one of the wolves seemed to have noticed his confusion and uncomfort, and made a dismissive waving gesture, which Joyce interpreted as an "It will be explained later" gesture. She began to silently sob on his shoulder, and clearly wasn't letting him go any time soon.

So he did the only thing he could think to do, and wrapped his arms around her in the only comforting gesture he could think of. He said nothing, she didn't move, and the wolves behind her only grew more uncomfortable or envious.

'That didn't help my situation at all…' he though bitterly. It was several minutes before she stopped crying, released him, and stepped back. She quickly wiped her eyes, and said quietly, "I'm very sorry, I shouldn't have done that… I just couldn't…. I-"

"It's fine… let's just… move on now, ok?" Joyce suggested, hoping to forget the uncomfortable moment.

"Yeah, Ok." She said, "Well, as I was saying, we've become a more Nomadic people now. Luckily for you, we were just about to leave when our scouts spotted you going right toward those Apes."

"Yeah, good thing." Joyce said, who looked at his team for a bit of confirmation. They both nodded, so Joyce turned back to the wolf, without having consulted Spyro and Cynder at all(which he would later come to regret… sort-of), and said to her, "We're going in there and taking it back."

She immediately went wide-eyed and asked, "What?! B-but how? There are probably hundreds, if not a Thousand apes and goblins in there!"

"Goblins?" Joyce quietly asked himself, then said aloud, "Yes, we're going in there to rescue a bunch of prisoners."

"Oh, well, that I can understand, but taking back the fortress?" said another Wolf, who had stepped forward, and was the same one who gave Joyce the gesture from earlier, "Not possible."

"Well, we're going to try both, but the prisoners are priority." Joyce said, still recovering slightly from the uncomfortable and awkward embrace.

"Well… you'll need all the help you can get, then. Follow us, and we'll help you in any way we can back at camp." The female wolf said. Joyce nodded in agreement, and jumped in the Humvee. As it roared to life, he noticed several wolves flinch and back away slightly, but they recovered quickly and were on the move momentarily.

However, mobility proved a burden this time, as Joyce soon found that the path they took winded through the trees. Thankfully, however, the trees were spaced far enough apart that Joyce could get through them with a decent speed, but he still had to weave around them a lot. It was nearly an hour before they came across a small camp. There were dozens of large tents, but their fires were all small and controlled, and they clearly made an effort to reduce smoke as much as possible.

"You guys are still hiding." Joyce observed, to which a voice responded, "Of course, we're only half an hour's run away from the apes."

By this point, he had stepped out out of the car, and he turned to see 4 Wolves approaching him.

"I don't think we were every properly acquainted," Joyce said, "My name is Christopher Joyce, I'm a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy SEALs. This is my-" He hesitated for a moment, as a number of memeories flooded his mind, taking him by surprise, as he remembered not only that this wasn't his team, but it wasn't his first team either. I recovered, but not fast enough, and they took notice of it, "-My team, Cooper, our field Medic, but basically a damn Doctor, and Bull, our Close Quarter Combat Specialist and Explosive Specialist."

He knew the long conversation of explaining what he had just said would come, but he rather enjoyed the conversation. It made him feel proud. And it was one of the few times he got to truly brag about his skills.

While they were confused at what he said, they continued on anyways, and the female one said, "Uhm, ok, nice to meet you all… my name is Timber, and this is Amarok, my Commander. I'm the leader of this ragged group of wolves." And then quietly with her head down, "As well as the last group of wolves…"

Amarok quickly said, "Hey, we don't know that… there could be others that followed our example."

She only sighed in response, but then turned to Joyce, his team, and the two dragons, and asked the two dragons,, "So what are your names?"

"I am Spryo, and this is Cynder." Spyro said, a bit heated, and glared at Joyce, who in turn was confused again. However, they moved on, and Little did Joyce know that many things were about to become brutally clear about today, as the mistakes he made piled up like stones holding back a flood.

"Alright, so, I presume you're all tired, correct?" Timber asked, but Joyce said, "Actually, no, we're not. Let's get as much done as we can, and get a plan going."

"Very well, Amarok, this is your area of expertise, so you take it from here."

"Yes ma'am." He said, and motioned for them to follow. Joyce quickly went to walk beside him, hoping for that explanation he gestured too earlier. When the wolf said nothing, Joyce cleared his throat, and said, "So… what was all that from earlier about?"

"Oh, right." He said, "Well, the thing is… she isn't a warrior, or even a leader for that matter. We lost everyone of our leaders in the attack. She was a baker before all this.. but she was the one who stepped up and led when we needed one, and she hasn't led us astray so far. In fact, it's a shame she wasn't part of our leadership before all this, she may just have prevented it entirely. She's a natural born leader if I've ever seen one; compassionate, understanding, strict, and level headed. Or, atleast most of the time for that last one… yeah, so about earlier, I guess she just snapped when she had to explain what happened. Again, she isn't a warrior, and she lost a lot of friends and family in the attack. We all did…"

"And what about you? What were you before all this?" Joyce asked.

Amarok hesitated a moment, then said rather embarrassed, "I was a… well, I was the Garbage Boy."

Joyce chuckled, and mused, "Quite a promotion, from Garbage Boy to commander."

Amarok sighed and said, "I would rather have stayed a Garbage Boy if it meant none of this would happen."

Joyce put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Hey, you don't have to be happy with it, but you do need to accept it. You've got new responsibilities."

"I know… I just… I can't help but think about how things could have turned out differently." He responded, then shrugged off Joyce's hand and kept moving. A thought occurred to Joyce, and he asked, "So, if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you attack us on sight? Damn near every other creature we've come across has tried to kill us, ran away, or insulted us… or all three…"

Amarok chuckled and responded, "I guess it's because we haven't had such a long history with the Apes as other creatures have, we haven't developed a natural hatred for apes yet. Plus, we've been watching you, and your two Dragon companions, so we figured out quickly that you clearly weren't with the Apes. But, still didn't know what your intentions were, hence the less than friendly welcome earlier."

Joyce accepted the explanation, it made sense, and the walk was silent the rest of the way.

They soon came across a larger tent, and they went inside to find several wolves inside. It began quite cramped, between the large table, 4 wolves, 3 Fully Armed Navy SEALs, and 2 dragons. However, the 4 wolves gave no indication that they wanted to move outside, and Joyce still caught Spyro giving them dirty looks occasionally, so he simply settled in for a long, uncomfortable, awkward, and possibly heated conversation that lay ahead of them. He momentarily found himself thinking like Amarok, as he found he would rather be far more uncomfortable with 5 SEALs in the tent if it meant his teammates were still alive…

'But they aren't, so I've got to move on.' He thought bitterly.

"So, shall we begin?" Timber asked, to which Joyce replied, "Yes, we shall. What I need is all the information you can give us on that fortress, but more specifically where they would keep prisoners."

"We can do that, but you've got to do something for us, too." Timber said, and then gestured to another Wolf and said, "This is Asena, she is our… magic and medicinal expert, and she needs something from inside."

"Yes," Asena continued, "You'll be looking for two things, the first, a book. It's a catalogue of all the known medicinal and magical properties of everything we know about, from flower to other creatures. It's a larger book, about yay high and yay thick," she said, using her paws to indicate that the book was about 1 foot tall, 6 inches wide, and 3 inches thick, "And will be a light blue with the picture of a Wolves head with the moon in the background. The second, a small, white vial. It contains a rare healing chemical that I can replicate and use to save lives. Specifically the children of the Tribe… they all seem to be catching this terrible illness… I've never seen it before. I fear the serum is the only thin that can save them. Both will be located in a Large Laboratory room on the ground floor, not far from the jails, where the prisoners you saw will undoubtedly be kept."

Joyce quickly memorized everything she had said, and nodded, saying, "Got it. So, about those directions to the jail?"

Timber looked a little hesitant to respond, and Joyce realized what was going to be said. Timber then opened her mouth and said, "We're going to send several of our warriors in with you to act as guides."

"No no no," Joyce said, "We'll take one wolf with us to act as a guide. Too many, and we'll attract attention. I'm planning on doing this quietly for as long as possible."

Timber looked at Amarok, who shrugged, so she thought on her own for a few moments before saying, "Three wolves."

Joyce sighed, and realized that was a take-it-or-leave-it kind of deal, and nodded agreement, and said, "Alright, tell your three wolves to meet at our truck at dark. That's when we're leaving."

"Don't forget about us." Spyro said, putting his wing around Cynder. Joyce had honestly forgotten about them until that point, as he wasn't used to having others tagging along. He felt a pang of quilt, and nodded approval.

Several hours later.

Joyce was woken from his nap by Bull, who gestured in the direction of 3 wolves walking in their direction. Timber was one of them, as was Amarok. The third, however, was unknown to Joyce. Once they got there, Joyce asked, and who is this one?"

"Our most capable warrior, Grey." Amarok said proudly. Amarok and Grey were both outfitted with leather armor, swords at their hips, and bows strung across their backs, with the quivers of arrows hanging lower, along their belts. Timber, however, word only her robes and a sword at her hip.

"So why exactly are you coming with?" Joyce asked Timber, to which she replied, "I've got a few thing I need to take care of in there, too."

"Ok, well, I hate to break it too you, but you're a liability if you can't fight-" but was interrupted, "I can fight! Maybe not as well as Amarok, or Grey, but don't underestimate me, I know how to use a sword."

Joyce sighed, and stiffly stood up and stretched his muscles to warn up for the fight ahead. However, he quickly noticed the impressed looks he was getting, and realized they were set on his bulging muscles as they flexed when he stretched. He quickly stopped, a bit embarrassed, and grabbed his rifle. He no longer was able to use his favored marksman rifle, however, as he was now needed on the ground instead of far away providing cover fire, so he was now using a rifle similar to the one Fox used, but lacked the M203 40MM grenade launcher in favor of less weight. Plus, this was going to be a stealth mission for as long as possible, so he didn't exactly need the launcher.

Or so he thought.

"Alright, we'll get going in just a second." He said to the three wolves, then turned to his team and said, "NVG's on, and functional."

Both lowered their goggles, looked around momentarily, before lifting them and saying, "Good to go."

"Supressors on."

Both gripped the cylindrical suppressors on their barrels and gave them a twist to make sure they were locked in, and nodded.

"And lasers." Joyce said finally, as all three lowered their goggles again and flicked on their infrared lasers.

"Everything's good to go." Joyce stated before turning to Timber, and said, "Ok, lead the way."

She frowned, and asked, "You're not taking your transportation with?"

Joyce shook his head no, and explained, "Too loud. Plus, we shouldn't need it. It's better to do this on foot. Spyro and Cynder can help carry any wounded, right?"

"Of course." Cynder replied, knowing Spyro would likely dissagree.

"Ok then, follow me." She said hesitantly, her voice shaking slightly in fear. They got a bit of attention on the way out, as several wolves stopped and watched them until they dissapeared into the trees. No-one spoke while they walked, as the three SEALs went into an intense combat mentality.

More by instinct that actuall thinking, they formed a triangle around the others, with Joyce at the front. Their heads were constantly moving, and their NVG's gave them a view not many can achieve in low light. To The wolves and dragons, the looked almost unnatural in their appearance and behavior. They appeared lower to the ground than usual, but didn't appear to be slouching at all, and their bodies were tense, but not unmoving. And the strange devicies they wore on their faces were alien and strange. Something that startled them the most, was when Joyce lifted a facemask that hung around his neck, to cover half his face up to his nose…. They shivered lightly when they saw the skull on it… they had never seen a group so ready to kill.

And it kind of scared them, even Spyro and Cynder were a bit concerned. It was only a half hour's walk to the fortress, and soon they were standing on the Same hill they laid on earlier that day.

"So what's the deal with the door? Why can't they get it open?" Joyce asked quietly.

"Well, when we sealed ourselves off from the rest of the world… we really did seal ourselves in. Generations before mine decided it was safest to block the door completely, with boulders and other large rocks left over from our excavating."

Joyce nodded, and then asked, "Is there any other way in besides that one door they cut in?"

She stopped and thought for a few moments, but then Amarok spoke up, "I think so. Back when I was still collecting garbage and everything, we always dumped it down a small chute that I'm pretty sure led outside somewhere."

"Great, can you try to find it?" Joyce asked, and Amarok nodded before begging to cross the gap between them and the face of the mountain. They weren't really concerned about it, because the only guards out there were all intently staring at a fire, rather than looking for trouble. Obviously they would see anyone trying to get in the front, but as for anywhere else…

They slowly walked along the cliff face, until they came across a large pile of garbage… and bodies. There was an immense pile of bodies. They immediately looked up, And saw what they were looking for, about 30 feet off the ground.

"Now how are we going to get up there?" Timber asked quietly, desperately trying to ignore the bodies, but Joyce was already on it. He handed a long rope to Spyro, and told him, "You and Cynder fly up there and crawl through the hole. Once you're through, hold the rope while we climb up after you."

Spyro nodded, and took the rope in his mouth before following Cynder through the hole. While Cynder easily got through, Spyro was a bit wider, and almost got stuck himself. However, Cynder manage to pull him through. Soon after, the rope fell back to them, and one by one they crawled up the rope and through the tunnel. When it Came Timber's turn, Joyce saw her kneeling next to one of the wolf corpses. He sighed sadly, and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon," He said, "We've got a job to get done..."

She said nothing for several seconds, and began to shake uncontrollably as she began to silently sob. Joyce took a moment to look at the wolf she was leaning over, and took notice the resemblance between the two, and a terrible realisation came to him.

This was her mother.

Joyce felt terrible, and seeing Timber like this only made him feel worse. But, they had to keep moving, there were others that needed their help, and they couldn't do that from here. Joyce gently pulled her away from the body and guided her away, and put himself between her and her mother.

"Ok… you stay here. We'll get those prisoners out, and you'll be waiting for them here, ok?"

But she shook her head, and Joyce saw the rage building inside her, and she said, "No, I'm ok."

The biggest mistake Joyce made that day, was in saying, "Ok." And watched as she gave one last look at her deceased mother before climbing up the rope. Joyce was the last one up, and before he went up, he tried his best to cover their tracks and any evidence that they were there, before hauling himself up the rope.

Once inside, he saw a large room made entirely of stone, and a number of containers containing mounds of garbage lay strewn about. And it smelt terrible…

Joyce quickly made a motion to the others to gather around, except for his team, which watched for any signs of danger. Once they were all there, he spoke in an almost inaudible whisper, "From this point on, absolutely no talking. You do not engage an enemy unless they are attacking you or I say too. We do this quickly and silently. Got it?" they all nodded in response, and Joyce gave one last look to Timber, who still looked angry, but in control. She noticed the look, and nodded her own response to his silent question.

Joyce stood up, and went into complete combat mode. He motioned toward the door on the far end of the room, and his team stacked up on the door. Cooper cracked open the door and peered out for several seconds before closing it slightly. He made a motion that told them that there were 3 hostiles at 3 o'clock mid-high, 3 at 12 low, 2 at 10 low, and atleast 12 total spaced out on the right side, low. Before they opened the door, Cooper then made a quick motion to say that none were on guard, and all were fairly close. Their training took over, as they formed up infront of the door, Joyce in front, Bull on the right, Cooper on the left. Joyce didn't even turn around to look at them, but pointed at the other creatures and then pointed right behind them, saying to stay close and low. In truth, Joyce was lucky they understood what he meant, as he had forgotten already that these weren't soldiers with his team.

Joyce opened the door swiftly, but carefully, and they moved silently out into the massive corridor. As a team, the SEALs fired single, accurate shots while keeping a quick but silent movement forward. Cooper fired once, then Bull fired twice as Joyce joined him in firing on the high number of apes on the right side, firing three times before turning to the three in front and firing once more. Cooper fired at the last ape on the left, and turned to the two in the middle while Joyce then turned to the Right side again. Bull fired three times, having hit one ape's shoulder and fired the third to silence it, as Joyce fired once, taking down an unseen ape that had been lying down. Cooper fired twice, taking the two infront, and then continued to scan for any unseen ememies in front and on the left. Bull fired twice more, as did Joyce. By that point the 4 remaining apes began to notice their comrades dropping, but before they could put it together, Joyce and Bull had already dropped them.

Spyro wasn't the only one who was baffled by what had happened. He was an experienced warrior, and he would never have even thought it possible to do what they had just done; 21 kills in less than 9 seconds. They never even stopped for a second, and they never said a word, and were in such sync that Spyro almost thought they had some sort of Telepathy to communicate. In truth, they were just so practiced with each other, that they knew what to do without needing to speak.

They slowed their pace to a slow walk, and Joyce looked over his shoulder at Timber, and asked quietly, "Which way to the prison?"

She hesitated, and looked around for a moment before pointing to a branching corridor about 70 feet away and on the right wall. It was difficult to see which one she was pointing at, as there were dozens of corridors leading away from this one, so Joyce motioned for her to join him as she guided them to the correct corridor.

Joyce peered around the corner, and saw an empty hallway about 25 feet long and 12 feet wide. And at the end was a large, metal door that was already open wide, with the soft, flickering light of torches revealing what lay beyond. They couldn't see much, but what he could see, was a number of barred doors lain into the wall on one side, as well as a number of apes patrolling along them. However, he couldn't see the right hand wall from where he was at.

They stacked up on the right side of the doorway, and Joyce motioned for the two to watch right side while he took the left. Then, they moved in.

Joyce immediately began firing, taking down both roaming guards, and turned just in time to see 3 more drop on the right. They gave a quick look around, and Joyce called, "Clear." And the three wolves and both dragons came in.

"You four, get these cells open and everyone ready to move. If anyone needs Medical attention, bring them to Cooper. Be ready to move out in nine minutes." He then pointed to Amarok and said, "Bull and I are going for the things you requested, you'll guide us."

Amarok nodded, and motioned to follow as he walked towards the door. Joyce took a moment to look at the terrified faces inside the cells, but was surprised to see that none of them were afraid of him. They looked to him with hope, wonder, and admiration. It was just like home again, as these creatures actually looked at him how he had grown to expect from his friends back home. The difference was; these weren't his friends. They were total strangers, and yet they still looked at him like that.

He realised he had stopped and was staring at them. The he thought he should say something to them…

"You'll all be safe soon. As I said before, if anyone is in need of Medical attention, go to Cooper. There probably isn't much he can do alone, but it's better than nothing."

As he turned to go, a Cheetah stuck his hand out and caught his shoulder. Joyce looked at him quizzically, and the Cheetah locked eyes with him for a moment, before saying, "Thank you."

Joyce gave him a smile, and the Cheetah released him. Then, Joyce was out the door, where Amarok and Bull were waiting.

"Ok, which direction?" Joyce whispered, and Amarok pointed down a ways to another large hallway, and said, "It's just through there."

They saw nothing as they made their way quietly towards the large corridor, but as they turned the corner, Joyce had to restrain himself from cursing loudly. The corridor was blocked. Caved in. He turned to Amarok, who looked baffled, and asked urgently, "Is there a way around?"

Amarok hesitated a moment, before saying, "Yes… but…"

"But what?" Joyce asked impatiently.

"We've got to to past the Armory, Barracks, Training Grounds, and Kitchens…"

"Damn it…" Joyce mumbled. Those were the four locations that Apes were certain to be in high numbers and on Alert. It was risky. "Damn it!" He whispered loudly as he hit a wall. After a few moments of thought, he turned to Bull, and motioned for him to turn around. He dug around in Bull's pack for a second, before finding what he was looking for; the five M112 Demolition Blocks. Each was about 2 inches by 1.5 inches, and contained roughly 1.5 Lbs of Military Grade C4. They were brought for their original mission, and were planned to have been placed in the road to dissable the first vehicle on their ambush to save the hostages. However, plans changed, as their ambush moved closer to a town, and the explosives would bring too much attention.

So, here they where. In Bull's pack.

"Ok, Bull, get back to Cooper and assist in any way you can. Once you've got everyone free, don't wait for us, just get them back to the garbage chute and get them out of here."

"Ok…." He hesitated a moment, then added, "Be careful, Joyce."

Joyce nodded to him, and watched him run back to the jails. He turned to Amarok, and asked, "Are you up for this?"

Amarok looked terrified, and was visibly shaking. Joyce put a firm hand on his shoulder and looked the Wolf in the eye. He felt the Wolf shudder once more, then stop shaking completely, as he steddied himself. He nodded to Joyce and said, "Ok, let's do it."

Back at the Cells, Cooper was bandaging a particularly nasty gash on one Mole's head, while Bull helped get the last cell door open. Once they were out, Bull said to Cooper, "Joyce said not to wait for them to come back, and to get them out of here."

Cooper sighed, and his head dropping slightly. Timber noticed this, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Bull looked up and said, "We're not waiting for Joyce to return, we're getting them out of here first. His orders."

She looked stunned, and then angry, as she said stubbornly, "No, we have a plan, he'll be back in a few minutes."

But Bull shook his head, and said, "Not going to happen. The tunnel collapsed, they've got to go around."

"W-what? But that means they'll have to go past-" she started, but Bull cut in, "Yes, they know. That's why it's just the two of them. Less likely to be seen."

However, he then turned to Cooper and said, "We should be ready for a hot exfil though."

"And why's that?" Cooper asked, as the others listened.

"He took the Demo Blocks." Bull responded, which only confused the others, but Cooper knew damn well what it meant; shit was about to hit the fan.

"Ok, let's get all these people out of here." He said to Timber, who began to organize the group. They made for the Garbage Chute again, and they lowered the rope back through. They all seemed to be able to fit through, and Grey went through first to secure it. After a few moments, everyone began to file through one at a time. It was agonizingly slow, but it was getting done.

Nearly 20 minutes had passed, and the remaining 3 cheetahs were in line to leave, but still no sign of Joyce and Amarok. Timber was worried, and asked, "They should be back, what if something's happened?"

"Stop and listen." Bull said, and she did so, and Bull continued, "Nothing. No fighting. Means they haven't been caught yet."

She nodded, but the comment still hadn't dissipated her worry. As the last Cheetah was leaving, they realized they had a decision to make; Leave Joyce and hope he gets out, or don't. Cooper sighed, and said, "We've got to go. Get these people to safety, and then we can come back for them."

"No! We can't leave them, what if they're in trouble?"

"They aren't in-" but a massive explosion shook the halls, and they all ducked for cover as a number of stones shook loose from the ceiling.

Bull and Cooper shared a look, which Timber noticed, but before she could ask, Bull said, "That's trouble."

They ran from the room, racing towards the source of the explosion. They heard gun shots echoing across the caves as they ran, and turned a corner. And there he was, surrounded by dozens of apes, and fighting like the devil. He was slowly moving forward with Amarok, while shooting apes that he could, and beating down the apes that got too Close. He mixed in strikes with the butt of his gun, punches, kicks, and stabs with his knife in a flurry of attacks.

He blocked an overhead strike with his rifle, then turned 180 to surprise an ape that thought he had the drop on him, with his knife. However, another ape did manage to make a gash on his right shoulder, and Joyce turned and slipped his knife in its throat.

They then took a moment to observe his condition. The suppressor on his rifle had apparently been cut almost completely off, leaving it useless. He appeared to only have 5 of his initial 9 mags left on his carrier, but he himself was in much worse condition. He was damn near drenched in blood, and clearly half of it wasn't his… but that meant half of it was his. Several large gashes were clearly seen on his shoulders, arms, torso and legs, and most of them with blood seeping out. But They didn't slow him in the slightest, as he kept fighting, taking down ape after ape after ape.

Soon he noticed them, and he yelled something to Amarok, and they began fighting their way to them. Bull and Cooper began firing as well, trying to make a path, but only succeeded in getting swarmed themselves. As Joyce slowly made his way to them, the others began to make their way back towards the large wooden door, while Timber began to close the doors. Once through, all three soldiers began unloading their mags while Amarok and Timber closed the doors. Once they were closed, the three soldiers lowered their guns and ran to put the crossbar in position. Once it was down, they turned to keep moving, but Joyce caught Timber's shoulder. She turned to him, and he said nothing as he put a large book in her hands and turned around without a word.

"Where are you going?"

"To get that Vial." He said simply.

"But… how?" Amarok shouted, clearly freaking out a bit, "We're all screwed if they get through!"

"Which is why none of you will be here when they get through. Go for the main gate," he turned to Timber, "Can you get the gate open?"

But she shook her head, and replied, "Not alone, no. It would take 12 strong Wolves to get that door open without power back on."

"Power?"

"Yes, we've harnessed a number of these Yellow Crystals that are found deep underground, they produce electricity. We've discovered a number of metals that will conduct this electricity, and we've made a great many devices from it, such as our lights, the door, harvesting equipment, and much more that we don't have time to discuss!"

"Ok, ok, so, how do I get this power back on?" Joyce asked, but Timber shook her head and replied, "I don't know how, all I know is that it was designed not to turn off… I have no idea if it will even turn back on!"

"Well we've gota try, because that's our only way out now," Bull said, "Those explosions collapsed the garbage chutes."

Timber looked like she was about to freak out, too, as she said, "I knew it. I knew this was a bad idea. I never should have agreed to this. Now we're all going to die."

"No, we're not." Joyce said, "There is still the small gate those apes made."

"What if it's shut, too?" Amarok asked, to which Joyce pulled out the last block of C4, and threw it to Bull.

"Don't wait for me." Was all he said before he turned and ran off in another direction. It was only moments before he disappeared into the shadows.

"Alright, let's get moving." Bull said. After pocketing the C4, they all ran off in the opposite direction.

An invisible observer silently chuckled at their mistake.

"I'll soon have their leader dead. And once he falls, the rest will fall like Dominos." Thought the creature, who lurked in the shadows, far beyond their line of sight. The creature turned to the second one, and spoke silently with it, "Bring some of the Apes off the main gate, if we can get the team out, it will be that much easier to pick off the strongest one."

"Yes ma'am." Was the only reply he got before the other creature slithered away.

They soon came across the gate, and as Bull peeked around the corner, he saw it was actually relatively lightly guarded, considering it was what they thought to be the only entrance. He immediately realized something was off. He backed up, and spoke almost silently with the group, "There's only 6 guards up there…"

"So?" Timber asked, to which Bull replied, "It makes no sense, they know we're here, so wouldn't they be guarding our only exit? Something's not right about this…"

"You think it's an ambush?" Amarok asked, but Cooper shook his head and said, "No, I'm thinking the same thing. They're trying to separate us from Joyce. Get us to leave him so they can get him without anyone coming to save him. They know that without him, the rest of us will fall apart…"

"So what do we do?" Timber asked, looking a bit scared.

"We don't leave. We set our own ambush." Cooper said, and immediately went to work.

Meanwhile, Joyce was still sneaking through empty corridors that shouldn't be so empty… he had to jump into an adjoining room when a dozen apes turned the corner. He listened as they ran past, their armor clattering and clinking as they ran by. He slipped out the door and quickly moved away. He turned the same corner the Apes came from, and saw the room he was looking for, as described by Amarok. He saw the large, single door decorated with gold symbols… and guarded by three apes.

This was a bit of a problem, as he could no longer take them out with his rifle. The suppressor had been cut off during the fight, and was useless and removed. If he used his rifle now, it would bring every ape in the structure down on him. He cursed silently, knowing he would have to get closer to take them out silently. He perked up for a moment as an idea hit him. He reached down and picked up a rock about the size of his fist, and chucked it to the other side of the Apes. The second it hit the ground, he sprinted as quietly as he could towards the Apes, as their heads immediately snapped towards the sound of the rock hitting the wall.

The ape closest to Joyce heard him coming, but didn't get to say anything as Joyce slipped his knife through the Ape's throat. As the Ape fell, and Joyce removed the knife, the other two turned back around. The second one, like the first, didn't have a chance to do anything as Joyce killed it in a similar manner. The third however, drew his sword and took a swing at Joyce. Joyce in turn ducked out of the way, and the sword flew over his head. On his way back up, Joyce brought his fist under the ape's chin in a vicious upper cut that sent the ape onto his back. Joyce immediately jumped on the stunned ape and brought his knife down and into the ape's chest.

Joyce withdrew the knife, and wiped the blood off on the dead ape's fur before standing. He pushed open one of the doors, rifle at the ready, and moved inside, closing the door behind him. He looked around, and saw shelves on every wall, and every available spot was filled with colorful and miscellaneously shapes bottles. He mumbled a curse, and began sifting through the hundreds of bottles. He picked up a bottle that was similar, but figured it wasn't and threw it to the side. He however, never heard it hit the floor.

He froze, and tensed his muscles, ready to grab his rifle. Just before he was going to act, he heard a voice. Or, at least, he heard words. He couldn't truly describe what he heard as a voice. It was more… unnatural. He could not describe it, but it gave him shivers, and every hair on body stood on end. It asked him, "Looking for this?"

It not only sounded like it belonged to an embodiment of evil, but when Joyce turned to see exactly what he would imagine such a thing to look like. It was made of shadows, and had an odd shape, with corners and ridges everywhere, and it was all shifting. It was impossible to look at this creature without becoming dizzy. But it's eyes were the most unsettling to Joyce… they were Human. It had light green, human eyes… and it held the same vial that Joyce was searching for. The small vial floated oddly, just infront of the creature.

"What do you want?" Joyce asked, knowing exactly how this was going to go. A jagged line of dim light suddenly appeared in the middle of the form, and formed a smile. Joyce realized this was its mouth.

"Good, you're smart enough to know exactly what is happening. Well, I'll tell you what I want… however, unlike what you are thinking, I do not want something in return… I only need you go listen to me."

Joyce was taken by surprise a little bit, and was very skeptical. The creature smiled again, and said, "A token of my intentions…."

Joyce was confused… until the creature threw him the Vial. Joyce was stunned, and had no idea what this creature's intentions were.

"So what's to stop me from just leaving now?"

"Your curiosity." Responded the creature, and it was true… Joyce wanted to hear it out. So, he grabbed a chair and sat down, and said, "Proceed."

"These creatures you fight for… kill for… did you ever stop to think maybe they aren't the good guys? That maybe they've been manipulating you?"

Joyce felt a small tug in his mind, but ignored it and responded, "No, I haven't. But from what I've seen and heard, I think I'm right."

That tug turned into a push, almost as if trying to invade his mind.

"So you think… Have you ever been wrong?"

The push turned into a poke… more pinpoint, like a finger. Within seconds, while Joyce was considering his answer, that poke turned into a Needle. He gasped in pain as that needle broke through the barrier of his mind. He put his head in his hands and groaned as he attempted to fight it back.

"Just let it happen… I'll know where your friends are soon enough as it is… this just makes it a lot faster."

"No!" Joyce groaned, but continued to only hold his head in pain. It dug deeper into his mind, searching for what it desired. Joyce screamed in agony as it found what it wanted, and in a moment's notice, it was gone. Joyce acted immediately, and jumped up from the chair, raised his rifle, and took aim at the creature. He fired 8 rounds into it, each one making its own hole. But, the holes just filled back up, and the creature was whole again.

"I'll be seeing you around…" Said the creature before it faded into nothing. Joyce was absolutely stunned, and could only stare at the place the creature floated mere seconds ago. However, he was shaken from his daze when he heard the sounds of running footsteps… and lots of them. However, above the din of those many footsteps, he heard something… bigger. He quickly pocketed the Vial, and began to search for an alrerate exit.

He didn't find one.

"Well shit…" He mumbled, "I guess we're doing this the hard way."

Thankfully, the connection between the creature and himself was a two way street…

Elsewhere…

"Where is he?" Timber asked for the 12th time in 10 minutes.

"Again, Timber," Bull started, "We have absolutely no idea where h-"

He was interrupted by Gunshots, but they were all distant echos. Timber only grew more worried, and Cooper had to grab her to keep her from running to the source.

Suddenly, an explosion went off. Probably one of his Frags, Bull concluded, but it was almost immediately followed by an unnatural sound… it was a deafening roar. It was like a cascade of Boulders and Thunder at the same time, as it echoed across the walls. Everything was silent, and the gunshots had stopped. Cooper took a step back, and was barely above a whisper when he asked, "What the fuck was that?"

When he turned to Timber, she had only terror written in her face. Pure Terror, Cooper realized. He grabbed her, and asked a bit forcefully, "What the Hell was that?!"

She swallowed her fear for a moment, and tried to explain, "W-Well, uhm, we couldn't dig these caves all by ourselves, so, we, uh, got some help…"

"What kind of help?!" Cooper asked impatiently, and she responded with, "Rock Golems. Monstrous beings, easily convinced to do just about any job, and fearless enough to die doing it. We were using them to mine before the City was taken… but the apes must've gotten to them and convinced them to work for their own needs."

Suddenly their radios crackled to life, and Joyce's voice came through it screaming, "Why the Hell are you guys still here?!"

"Wait, how do you know we're here?"

"I will explain later, but right now, I need you to set that explosive on the central support column, and Blow it when I say!"

"What? Why?" Timber asked, but got no response as the two soldiers went to work without questioning Joyce. Once they had it set up, however, the Gunshots started back up. They advanced to the entrance of the hall Joyce should have been coming down. They all stared in shock.

Joyce was running through a gauntlet of Apes and Golems, and was only half way through and already had a slight limp. He spotted them, and went to yell at them, but had to roll to the left to avoid the fist of a golem. Once on his feet, he was stopped momentarily by an Ape who swung from above. Joyce used his rifle to block the sword, then released one hand, and punched the ape in the face. While dissoriented, Joyce quickly grabbed the sword by the hilt and ripped it out of the Apes hands, and spun around to gain momentum before using it to put a diagonal slash across the ape's chest. As it fell, Joyce reversed his grip on the sword, and ran at a Golem infront.

The enormous creature launched its fist at Joyce, but undershot, and Joyce jumped onto the creature's arm. He quickly ran up, and lept at its head. He managed to lodge the sword between two rocks on the creature's neck, and as he fell, his weight, and the sturdiness of the sword, managed to pry the two rocks apart. The Golem roared in anger and pain, but collapsed. Joyce Continued on.

"Get the Fuck out of here!" He yelled, and when Timber saw that Bull and Cooper were about to comply, she grabbed Bull's rifle, and began firing at the apes. The first shot missed by a mile, as she was unaware of the recoil, but managed to get off five more rounds before Bull snatched it back. She looked at them, and pleaded, "We can't leave him here to die!"

"He's not going to die! Just listen to him or we will die!"

She didn't want to die either, but she definently didn't want him to die. She had no idea why she cared. She only knew him for a few hours. Sure, she cried on his shoulder, but it didn't mean anything, she had just had too much…

'Well, he is big, and strong, and-' she started to think, but was interrupted,

"Stop daydreaming and let's go!" Cooper yelled, and began to half drag her away. She gave him one last glance, thinking it might be the last time she ever saw him. Joyce's voice came back on the radio, "Once you're out, get back to the wolf camp, and get Everyone packed up and ready to get the Fuck out! I don't-" he went silent for a moment, presumably dodging or killing an Ape, "Don't have time to explain! Get back to the Village, and get ready for a fight!"

"Wait, what does he mean?" Timber asked, and looked at Amarok, who had a sad look among the terrified portion of his face. She grabbed the radio from Bull, who looked at her, annoyed, and she asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean-" Another pause, "Fuck… I mean that if you don't close off this tunnel system, they're going to be on your camp within the hour, and at our village within a day! They will slaughter them! I need you-…. To do what I say!"

He turned the corner ahead of them, and kept sprinting to them.

"BLOW THE CHARGE!" He screamed, but didn't stop running. Bull pulled out his detonator, and was ready to activate it, but hesitated. He looked up at Joyce, who yelled, "Fucking Blow it- AAAGH" He screamed as an arrow tore into the back of his thigh. Hit hit the ground, but didn't stay down. He was up within moments, still running. He tried again, "BLOW IT! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Bull pulled the trigger.

There was a moment of nothing. Then everything happened at once. The C4 Went off, sending rocks everywhere, one of which hit Joyce in the forehead, staggering him, but not stopping him. The cave began to tremble, and chunks of the ceiling began to fall. The Pillar they had blown began to fall over, and landed on a group of Apes with a loud thud that nocked even more of the ceiling down.

"S

"We've got to go!" Bull yelled above the sound of the collapsing tunnel, and began to drag Timber out with Amarok and Cooper not far behind. As they came out into the grassy field, they heard a shudder, and something breaking, and turned to see the massive set of stone doors beginning to fall. They didn't have to run far to get out from under the falling doors, and they turned around to see Joyce a mere 10 feet from where the doors originally stood, but the tunnel had lost complete support, and collapsed almost all at once as not only the ceiling fell towards him, but half the damn mountain from outside. Joyce dove to get out of the way, stunning them, as he was nowhere near safety.

It all came down.

When the dust settled, they knew there was no way he made it, but they looked anyways. Bull knew they had no time to search, so he did something else. He took his own rifle, and emptied the Mag by hand, before putting the now empty mag back into the rifle. He then jammed the barrel of the rifle into the soft dirt, and placed his helmet on the stock of the rifle. He knew that traditionally it was the helmet of the soldier who died, and you were also supposed to hang the tags, but neither were possible.

Timber looked like she was about to cry, but something caught her eye… she walked over, and found the Vial Joyce had gone in search for laying in the grass. She was absolutely stunned, and forgot to breathe until Bull came over and asked, "What did you find?"

When he saw what was in her hands, he too was stunned, and said, "Holy shit, the crazy bastard didn't dive for safety… he was throwing this to us.."

Timber would have broken down crying at that point, but she was not only too stunned, but too proud. She knew she couldn't stop and cry now, not after the man gave his life for this. She quickly put it in her pocket, and said, "Lets get going."

They had the camp packed up, or atleast mostly packed up, and ready to move in an astonishing Hour and a half, and mostly thanks to Timber urging them on with both nice and more straightforward techniques.. but they were soon on their way to the Village.

Spyro and Cynder, however, decided to fly for Warfang to get help.

The day and a half long trip was entirely uneventful, until within about 10 minutes to the Village. It was dusk, the sun was setting quickly, when a scream tore through the night. Bull slamed his brakes and jumped out to see what was wrong. He ran back until he found a mother holding a small, crying child.

"What happened?" he asked, but she only pointed to a spot off the trail. Bull cautiously approached, but only found dead bodies. Then he realized it was a Cheetah patrol.

"Shit," he said, then spoke into the radio, "Cooper, we gota haul ass, we got a dead Cheetah patrol up here, looks like they were tortured before they died. Probably ape Scouts."

"Alright, I'll try." Was the only response. Bull then turned around and yelled to the group he was escorting, "The village is only 10 minutes away, but we're going to need to be there NOW! Everyone's gota run! Pick up your children and carry them if you have too! Leave all your carts, buckets, everything, behind! Let's go!" He then jumped in the truck, and stepped on the gas. He hit a particularly large hole, and the truck rocked. He looked in the mirror, and saw that a gun had bounced out, and one of the wolves went to pick it up, but Bull yelled, "Leave it! Just run!"

Within minutes, the Village gate came within sight, and Bull sped ahead. He spotted a lone guard on top of the wall, and hoped he would open the gate. He was relieved when the gate began to slowly open. Once inside, he jumped out, and Cooper pulled up not long after. They all got out, and the Village burst into chaos, as Spyro attempted to coordinate the warriors. And out of the chaos appeared River, who had a curious and confused look.

"Wh-where is Joyce?"

30 Hours Previously…

Joyce jolted awake, but hit a hard surface when he tried to jump up. He groaned in pain, and opened his eyes… and couldn't tell if they were open. It was dark. A sharp pain appeared on the back of his head, and his memories came back to him in a flood, and he remembered where he was. He began to panic, and tried to look around frantically, but only managed to hit his head again.

The pain instantly brought him to his senses, and he calmed down. He calmly looked up, and saw the slightest crack of light, and crawled towards it. He came across a wall of rubble, and began digging. He moved away rock after rock, and actually had a good system going. Find a smaller rock, toss it further back, then repeat until a large one needed to be moved, and then scoot back while dragging it with him, before crawling over or around it, and using his feet to push it as far back as he could. It was working just fine.

Until he came by a rock that was actually a 4-ton boulder.

"Shit!" He mumbled, but then fumbled around his belt and found exactly what he knew was there; one last M67 Hand Grenade. He knew this alone didn't have the power to remove the boulder… but maybe he could help it do so. He placed the grenade carefully next to the boulder, and tore off his sleeve. He began to strip it down, and tie the ends of loose fabric together to make a string. By the end of it, he had what he estimated to be atleast 15 feet of it. He then tied one end around the pin of the grenade.

Then, he began reversing his work, and started stacking the rubble as tightly as he could against the grenade, while also threading his makeshift rope through it and ensuring it wouldn't get stuck. While he worked, he was running the logic of his plan through his mind over and over.

'It's just like a gun, right? That much gunpowder would never be able to send anything flying that far normally… it's just the confined space. Only give the pressure one place to go, and it goes that way… I put the grenade there, stack things up behind it… and hope There's more pressure on my side than the other side…' then a mental image of it going wrong, and the blast simply sending all the rubble into him went through his mind, and he started to have second thoughts.

"No!" He said aloud, "If I don't do this, I'm a dead man anyways…" He sighed, and prepared to pull the rope, but then decided to throw his own weight into it. Then, he pulled the string.

Nothing. He waited. Nothing. A distant thud.

Confused, he opened his eyes and relaxed a little. Did it go off?

"What the h-"

An explosion shook the tunnel, and he balled up to prevent any more injuries to his head. When it settled, he realized it had worked, he was still alive. He laughed, excited, and restarted his system of digging forward. However, to his astonishment, when he came across the boulder, it was still intact. Instead, the pressure found a different way out.

It went up. Above Joyce was a 2 foot diameter hole that only widened as it went further up, and the light of dawn flooded in. He scrambled out of the debris, and looked around. His eyes fell on the Rifle with a Helmet on it. He ran past it, and grabbed the helmet on the way by, knowing the rifle would be empty. He had ditched most of his gear in the race to get out of the tunnels, and his helmet disappeared somewhere between then and now, so he Strapped Bull's helmet on and set out.

He found the wolf camp empty, to his relief, and kept on walking. From what he could tell, he was only 2, maybe 3 hours behind them. But, before he started walking, he stopped and picked up a small piece of cloth left over, and tied it around his leg, which had started a minor bleed with his movement. That arrow remaining in his leg was the only thing that kept him from bleeding to death while he was unconscious, he realized. He broke off the shaft, but left most of the arrow in before tightening the cloth. He then stood up, groaned in pain, and started walking. He even thought about saying something like, "I'm too old for this shit," but then realized; what the hell's the point in it, anyways? No-one cared.

He decided to check himself over before setting out, and was genuinly surprised he wasn't in more pain than he was at that moment. He still had The large gash across his chest, but also had one on his forearm and a small one on his lower back. The head-wound he had still bled, but not much. He was dehydrated, hungry, and had a massive headache.

"I've been through worse." He concluded, and began walking.

The walk was Agonizing, but he kept his pace, and at certain times, even increased it, especially after finding a nice stick that could support his weight. As it transformed from midmorning, to midday, do evening, to dusk, he kept walking, knowing that they would stop for a break either. He pressed on through the night, only stopping at the occasional stream for a drink. Thankfully he still had his knife, and on a few of these stops, he spent time sharpening the top of his stick, just above the place he held it.

He trudged on.

The sun was setting behind him when he heard a very, very distant scream. By his guess, he was half a mile behind the source. He picked up the pace, almost a fast jog. A few minutes later, he came across a weapon in the road. He came closer, and recognized it as one of the weapons from the truck. They had a few guns set out, all ready and loaded for emergency use. This one must've fallen out. It was an M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper System), and it had a 20 round magazine already loaded. It was very similar to the Mk18 SWS that he was trained with, so he had no doubt about his skill with this weapon.

Then, he heard gunshots. A fight was starting. He stood up, and chambered a round before slinging it around his shoulder, picking up his stick, and setting off in the direction of the fight. He pushed his way through the trees until a lone ape jumped infront of him. Joyce recoiled, and jumped back, preparing to swing at the ape with his stick. He had to duck below a sword first, however, but when he came back up, the stick came with him. It connected hard with the bottom of the ape's chin. As it's head snapped back, the ape actually left the ground as it fell backwards, completely unconscious. Joyce thought he killed the ape at first, but saw it was still breathing, so he pulled out his knife, and dropped the tip in the Ape's throat before retrieving it and moving on.

It was brutal, but he couldn't risk the ape waking up and coming at him from behind. Yet another necessary evil act of war. He trudged on through the trees, his leg causing him more pain than ever before, until he came to the edge of the clearing before the village.

 **POV's are going to change around a bit here, between the characters, but also to a third person sort of view where it's no-one's view, just watching. There's also a bit of Gore in this, but normally it's not my writing style to put it in.**

Bull shot an Ape just before it could run its sword through a Cheetah warrior, and Bull approached the warrior and helped him to his feet. Cooper shot an ape in the stomach before spinning 180 to raise his rifle and block a sword.

'If I keep doing that, one of these days this rifle is going to break.' He thought. Then realized he was surrounded…

Max pulled his sword from an Ape's gut, but jumped as he felt a sword slice his arm. He turned to face the ape, and immediately had to push the ape's sword aside using his own. This threw the ape off balance, and Max took advantage of it and stabbed it in the chest.

Bull jumped back as an Ape swung its club at him, but tripped and fell backwards. Two apes immediately jumped on him and held him down while another ape stood above him, sword ready. The ape smiled smugly, but that smile dissapeared quickly after a gunshot that stood out from the rest. Infact, his face dissapeared as a bullet blew through the front of his head and it all splattered on the two apes holding him down. They froze, and looked around, so Bull took advantage and stabbed one in the chest with his knife. The other saw, and raised his own sword, only to be silenced by another gunshot and his face exploding. Bull jumped up to find it wasn't Cooper who fired. He, along with almost everyone, was looking off in another direction. He turned too.

Joyce was limping down the field, holding the M110 with one hand, and a large stick with the other. An ape charged him, and Joyce brought the arm holding the stick to the bottom of the barrel and used it to support the gun as he fired yet another deadly shot. He let the rifle drop to his waist, as it hung from the strap, and held the stick with both hands. An ape came within swinging range, and Joyce nocked it on it's ass, unconcious, with one big swing. Several apes began to approach him. Joyce realized almost immediately after that big swing that he was in bad shape, and when he spotted the half dozen apes approaching him, he knew he couldn't take them on.

Bull came to the same realization, but found he couldn't do anything without risking hurting Joyce, and there was no way he was going to risk shooting the man… he looked ready to fall over at the smallest push. He looked around frantically for an answer, when he spotted them. The wolves were finally ready to join them.

Initially they had refused to help, claiming they had been fighting for far too long, but quickly realized they had to. However they were almost entirely unarmed and unorganized, hence why they were only just now joining the battle. Their 80 warriors flooded out of the gates with a vengeance. They fought savagely, and If Joyce hadn't already known they were fighting because of what they apes did to them, he'd have thought they were crazy. He knew all too well what Anger could do to a person in the long term, but for right now, the anger was necessary.

A wave of arrows hit the mass of apes, but 5 carefully placed arrows found their way into 5 of the 6 apes coming at Joyce, allowing him to deal with the last one. Joyce jumped sideways to avoid the vicious slash from the ape's sword, then responded with his own swing with his club. The weapon connected with a brutal crunch as the Ape's face was shattered by the massive stick, which, coincidentally broke Joyce's club, leaving him with only his knife. However, he never had to use it, as a separate squad of the wolves, led by Timber herself, came to him and practically carried him inside the walls. Joyce new Cooper wouldn't be far behind, being the medical expert and all.

Everything was spotty after that, as he went in and out of consciousness. First thing he saw rather stuck out; The wolves rallying with the cheetahs and Apes beginning to retreat. After, he remembered being dragged past a burning building. Running Cheetahs. Dead Cheetahs. A tent full of blood. Screaming. Immense pain. Then he saw Cooper's face above his, before blacking out entirely.

He awoke with a yelp, but found himself being held down.

"Stop moving, Joyce." Came Cooper's voice, and Joyce relaxed. He realized Cooper was stitching his side, as he felt the needle poke in and out of his skin. After a minute, Cooper stood, and motioned for the Cheetahs to release him.

"Take it easy, Joyce." Cooper said as Joyce attempted to sit up. Once he was sitting, he exhaled loudly, to which Cooper offered him his canteen. Joyce was going to take a drink, but paused and asked, "This is the Water Canteen, right? Not your Whiskey?"

Cooper thought for a moment before pulling another canteen out of his bag and sniffing the contents before nodding the OK to Joyce, and he chuckled a little. Once done with his drink, he handed the canteen back, and looked himself over.

He then realized why it was so cold, he was wearing nothing but his underwear. Cooper must've removed them to get at his wounds.

"How long have I been out?"

"About 3 hours. We pushed the apes back, but they'll be back with more. We sent out scouts to watch them. Figure we've got maybe three days before their reinforcements arrive, based on the amount of food they're stocking up on."

"How much reinforcements we talking about?"

"No idea, but we can't stand another attack. We were prepared the first time, and they still sacked us. Lost 4 buildings and 54 cheetahs, 35 of which were warriors. The wolves lost 25 warriors."

Joyce was deep in thought, but couldn't think of much with the massive head ache he had, so he gave up and asked, "So, is there a plan?"

"Yeah, The Chief has called a meeting between the Elders and the Wolves council to decide. Actually, I think it's starting here soon."

"And we weren't invited?"

"They knew you were hurt, you're going to rest, we'll be notified of the results."

Joyce shook his head and said, "Get me a stick."

Cooper was going to tell him no, but saw the look in his eyes; He was going with or without a stick, but the stick would be a better idea he concluded, and went to find him a suitable walking stick.

"And make sure it's solid!" Joyce yelled after him, then whispered to himself, "I've got a feeling I'm probably going to need to beat someone with it.."

River was stunned at the outcome of events at this Council. The wolves wanted to keep running, but the Council wanted to fortify the area and fight. But what surprised her, is that the wolves knew of the city of Warfang, and that was their destination.

But now there was arguing. About supplies. Neither had the amount of supplies needed to what they wanted, and were threatening to take from the other. One Cheetah Elder in particular was being rather troublesome, as he yelled at a Wolf across the way from him, "You're kind betrayed us! You're lucky we don't just kill you and be done with it!"

The Chief stood, and yelled, "That is unacceptable! You will sit down or you will be removed from this Council!"

But the cheetah kept going, "You're going soft! These humans poisoned your mind! With their black magic and stuff! I don't think you're fit to lead-" But was cut off when someone savagely brought a wooden stick down on the top of his head... As the Cheetah fell forward, unconscious, Joyce swayed a little before planting the stick in the ground to steady himself, and yelled, "Anyone else?"

It was silent. Until Joyce heard running footsteps, and turned to see River running to him. He braced as well as he could, as she enveloped him in a hug. It was then Joyce realized she was a bit taller than he was, atleast 2 inches taller, and it rather surprised him, as he hasn't noticed it before. But, he pushed the thoughts from his mind, and also pushed her away a little bit so he could breathe.

"Oh, Ancestors, you're ok!" She exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, I wanted to be there when you woke up… but things here.."

"Its fine, we can talk about it later.. right now, I've got something I need to deal with." He said, looking her in the eyes. She nodded and gave him space to stand on his own.

"Now." He began, "Firstly, I don't much appreciate not being apart of this conversation. Secondly, I don't think most of you should have a voice in this conversation!"

"Its not your decision!" Said yet another of the Difficult Cheetahs. In response, Joyce gave him a fierce stare, and touched the grip of the sidearm at his hip. The cheetah shut up immediately.

"No more interruptions. Next person to do so without proper reason will meet my stick. Got it?" he saw a few nods, and moved on.

"Now, I've also been informed that there's no way we could survive another attack, so why is it that the Cheetahs want to stay?"

One of them spoke up, "Its where we were born… these are our homes.."

Joyce sighed, and said, "I understand that. But think of your children, your daughters and sons… Do you want them to die just because of a few traditions? What's more important? Your Family? Or your house?"

He saw understanding around the table. Then, he remembered something, "Wait a second, where are Spyro and Cynder?"

"They went for Warfang to get help, but never returned…" River said. Then Longclaw spoke up, saying, "We have to assume the worst. There isn't any help coming."

Joyce sighed, knowing he was probably correct.

"Well, we have to move. We can't stay here, it's not a fortifiable position. You chose the spot because of hunting opportunities, but it has almost no strategic possibility." Joyce said, noticing some scared, and some hostile, looks. However, three faces stood out from the rest, and all three looked like they approved. Obviously they were River, Chief Longclaw, and Timber.

All three noticed the sudden panic in his features as he looked around. He didn't seem to have found what he was looking for, and he asked, "Where is Amarok?"

River simply replied, "Who?" but Timber's eyes went wide as well, and both of them shot out of the building. Cooper, the only human left in the tent, sighed loudly. Almost every pair of eyes was on him in a heart beat.

'Uh oh..' He thought, becoming extremely nervous. His hands hung around the collar of his vest for a few seconds while he stuttered for a second, before saying quietly, "Uhm… Yeah..." and left the tent as well.

Joyce looked around, yelling, "Amarok!"

He soon heard an answer, "He's over here!" it was Timber, and she sounded worried, but not scared, so Joyce let his worry dissipate a little. He found her standing in a Medical Tent. Amarok was laying on a cot, his eyes barely open, with a big slash on his right arm, and a nurse bandaging it.

"Wow, you look like shit." Amarok said, looking at Joyce.

"Thanks," Joyce said, "You going to be able to swing a sword any time soon?"

"Yes." He said, but the nurse tending him immediately corrected him, "Absolutely not! Not with this arm anyways, it'll need a full month before you can even use it to shake hands."

Amarok scoffed and replied, "I can use either arm to swing a sword."

"Ambidextrous." Joyce said, but Amarok just asked, "What?"

"Oh, it's just a scientific term for being able to use both hands.." but he saw no clarification, and instead said, "Nothing, never mind. Anyways, we're going to have to get on the move soon.

The nurse spoke up, and asked, "What? Why?"

Joyce looked at her, and responded, "The apes are getting backup, if we don't leave they'll come back and wipe us out."

She looked scared, and asked, "B-but, where will we go?"

"The Dragon City of Warfang." Said a familiar voice. Joyce spun around, knowing exactly who was standing there, and saw Spyro there with a smile.

"Oh man, it's good to see you!" Joyce said, approaching the young Dragon, "We started to think something had happened."

"Oh, something happened alright, but thanks to your info about large scale attacks, we were able to defend Warfang with very few casualties." Spyro paused a moment, and looked at Cynder, so Joyce asked, "Something wrong?"

"No, quite the opposite actually," Cynder said, "Just a little astonished you survived, is all."

"Can't get rid of me that easily." He joked, but saw their serious looks, and realized this was not a joking time.

"Joyce, you saved a lot of lives today, I hope you realize that the City of Warfang already sees you as a hero, and once they see you helped all these creatures out here, they're going to love you." Spyro stated, and Joyce nodded, and looked at him silently for a few seconds before saying, "I don't do it for the recognition. In fact, I would rather someone else take the credit. Makes my job easier without people swarming me to ask me questions and shit. I need trust, not a fan club."

Spyro was stunned at the blunt response, then realized exactly what he felt. After he defeated Malefor, all he wanted was to be alone with Cynder for a while. But that never happened. He sighed and said, "I get that, I'll do my best to ensure you're left alone, you can live in peace-"

"No, Spyro." Joyce said, and Spyro realized there was something else. Something bad. However, before he could ask, Joyce said, "Gather your guardians and anyone with knowledge of the various creatures in this world… and of other worlds, if there are any."

Cynder looked a little scared, and Spyro had a look that said, "Uh oh…" all over it.

"Quickly" Joyce added.

Within an hour, Joyce was sitting in a room in the Guardian's Temple in the city of Warfang with Spyro, Cynder, the three Guardians, two Elder Dragons, his team, and Joyce's phone hooked up to the Tactical camera attached to his helmet, and everyone looking at the screen. They had just passed the part where Joyce went off on his own the first time, now he was alone again in the Library room just before the creatures showed up.

They were watching the footage, when the voice Joyce heard rang out on the Footage, "Looking for this?" And he swung around. Joyce paused the video, only to find there was nothing on the Footage. The voice was there, but no visual. Atleast, not until the Vial appeared out of nowhere and Joyce caught it.

One of the elders asked, "Did you see a creature? Can you describe it?"

"Uhm, yeah, I think so." Joyce said, but as he thought about it, the less he could remember, "Uhm, made of shadow… corners and ridges everywhere, and it shifted, looked like it didn't have a flat surface anywhere on its body… but the eyes.."

"What about them?" Asked the same elder, fear creeping into his voice, and Joyce responded by pointing to his own eyes, and said, "They looked like mine, except the pupils were bright green.."

"By the ancestors.." One elder said, but the other immediately followed with, "Not even they can save us now."

"Why? What are they?" Spyro asked, confused, curious, and startled at the same time.

"Evil beings, with no mercy, limits, or restraints, except those of the Ancestors. They hold them back typically, but with Malefor now in their hands, a few may have slipped through. You have to think of it as a war… our Ancestors are constantly fighting the evil creatures that ended up there for the same reason our Ancestors are there; to keep, or to throw, the balance."

"Balance of what? Good and Evil?"

But he shook his head and stated, "Life and Death. Ballanced means the food grows plentiful, creatures of all lands live long happy lives, and the weather is generally calm. When it's unballanced, food goes bad, creatures are angry, war wages, and the weather becomes violent."

"How do you know all this? These events haven't occurred in hundreds of years." Terrador asked, and the older Dragon responded, "Kid, you have any idea how old I am?"

"Kid? You aren't that much older than I am." But the Old Dragon chuckled and said, "We have ways. Those green Crystals have more too them, than you will ever know. I've been alive a long time, and I've only seen events like this unfold once before, back when I was still a youngling."

"What happened?" River asked, but the Dragon said, "A story for another time. A more imortant answer to an equally important question, is what did they want. Unlike Malefor, these creatures don't wish to destroy the world, but rather to control it. Malefor did infact work for these creatures, but he apparently misinterpreted them, or maybe they decided to simply settle for the destruction of our world if they couldn't control it. Which ever it is, it doesn't matter now, because they're here."

"And shit's about to hit the fan." Joyce finished. They looked rather confused at his choice of words, but could apparently understand what he meant.

"Thank you for your help," Terrador said, "You can leave now."

The two dragons walked to the door, and the first one walked out, but the second turned around and spoke again, "If these creatures truly have returned, then not even the Ancestors can save us. You'll need every bit of help you can get." And with that, he was gone.

"Well shit, and here I was hoping for some good news.." Cooper said, receiving several glares in response to his sarcastic comment.

"So what does this mean as far as help from the Ancestors?" Spyro Asked, but Volteer simply shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that it seems there will be none."

Spyro looked a bit worried now, and Joyce felt a little worried now as well, seeing the confident Dragon look worried had an impact on him, too. But, Joyce looked at his team mates, and saw no shadow of doubt. He realized he needed to show the same in order to be what was needed.

Then, he realized another thing; His team was no longer limited to just the two humans beside him. It now included Spyro and Cynder, Timber and Amarok. And while River was clearly with them now, he wasn't quite sure she could properly fight. Plus, he wasn't desperate enough to need another member of the team quite yet.

"Well, where do we start?" Cynder asked, and all three Guardians looked baffled.

"Well-" Joyce started, but was interrupted by a door slamming open and a young cheetah ran inside. He was fully dressed in decorative armor, and he held his helmet at his side.

"Captain Frelin?" Terrador asked, even more confused as to why any such rank below commander would barge into their room when everyone was told not too.

"Sir, there's been an attack!"

Terrador looked at everyone else, rather alarmed, before responding, "Where? Who? How bad is it?"

"Well… it's in the City, near the Square.. about a dozen and a half apes took hotel complex and have several inhabitants hostage."

"How did they get in?" Terrador asked, and the captain shrugged, and Joyce spoke up.

"Well, we can figure that out later, for now, let's deal with the situation."

"And how do you propose we deal with it?" Terrador asked slightly sarcastically, not expecting such a confident answer from Joyce, "Let us deal with it."

"You? You three will deal with it?" Cyril asked, with a heavy hint of Distrust and disbelief.

"Yes, us three. We've been trained heavily to deal with hostage situations much more dangerous than these. Plus, we have the experience."

"How many of these have you dealt with?" Volteer asked, who was clearly taking him much more seriously.

"Hard to say for all of us, but I'd say atleast three each, but I've got five."

"And how many hostages have been killed?"

"None." All three answered simultaneously.

Terrador was clearly against the idea of sending the three in, even though they clearly showed skill. However, as they began to follow the Captain, Terrador noticed something odd.

"Are you bleeding?" Cyril asked, who clearly also noticed the blood seeping from his lower back into his uniform.

Joyce didn't even look back when he called out, "It'll wash out."

Confused at the answer, Terrador said, "No, you're bleeding."

"I know." Joyce said simply, and followed the Captain out of the room. They exited the temple, and took to the streets only to find them deserted. The Captain spoke before they could ask, "Most heard that apes attacked the City and ran for their homes."

They continued to run down the street for several minutes before turning a corner and spotting their target building. From the outside, it looked like a fairly high-class building with glass windows, 2 floors, and several balconies. There was a distant rumble, which Joyce recognized as thunder, and looked to the sky. There was a mean storm on the way. He knew this would be a problem, but not nearly as big as broad daylight was.

There was a line of guards around the building, ranging from mostly moles and smaller dragons, to Cheetahs. Joyce was quick to spot the one in charge, a rather large, mean looking Red Dragon. When Joyce approached the dragon, he didn't move. Infact, he didn't move a muscle. He froze. Every thing but his eyes was completely stiff, as his eyes followed Joyce's every move.

"You the one in charge right now?" He asked simply, and the dragon nodded before saying, "Yes, I am, and I want you three out of here Now! You'll only cause problems."

Joyce nodded like he didn't hear anything past, "Yes, I am," and said, "Well, I'm in charge now. I need everything you know about the situation."

The Dragon looked infuriated, but before he could even open his mouth, Terrador stated, "Flanrir, let him take over."

The Dragon looked at Terrador before very hesitantly, and almost through clenched teeth, said, "Eight Apes snuck inside the building and took several creatures hostage, mostly high ranking Chieftains of the larger cheetah packs who were here to sign an agreement on-"

"Don't need to know on what, how many and where are they?"

The Dragon despised being talked to like this, but he pushed aside his anger; He would have his victory after the humans failed.

"Well, the building is set up where there's a large open area at the front that forms a large U, there are rooms on the edge, and the U goes up both floors. That's where they're keeping the hostages, in the center of the room. Four of the apes are downstairs, two with the hostages, two patrolling the rooms and hallways, the other four are on the second floor, two are watching the hostages from the balcony above, and the other two are patrolling."

"How did you figure this all out?"

"They didn't close any of the doors or the curtains on the windows, pretty easy to see inside."

"Entrances?"

"Just the one out front."

"What about a skylight?"

The Dragon's eyes came alight with the idea Joyce had, having never thought to go in any other way than the front door. He nodded, and said, "Center of the building, but not over the Hostages, its off to the side."

"We'll wait for the storm to hit, then we'll go in." He said, confusing the Dragon, but he couldn't contain his outburst this time, and asked, "Why the hell would you do that?! You're clearly not fit to lead this operation-"

"Fifty Four." He interrupted, and the dragon replied, "What?"

"Fifty Four is the number of lives I have saved in situations just like this, and situations far more risky than this, so I recommend you shut the fuck up, and let me do what I need to do."

And with that, he turned to Terrador and said, "All I need from you and your guards are to keep a perimeter. Do not engage them."

Suddenly someone yelled, "Hey, the door is opening!"

Joyce swung towards the door, rifle at the ready, but finger off the trigger, and his team took a similar position. However, when they saw a cheetah pushed out the door, and immediately recognized it to be Chief Longclaw. He had his hands in the air, and looked horrified, which confused Joyce a bit. He figured the cheetah warrior would have a brave face on. He noticed the cheetah was frozen in place, and Joyce waived him forward with his hand, and moved to meet him and cover his run. He made it, but still looked horrified.

"What's going on in there?" Joyce asked, and he looked at him, and replied simply, "They've got River in there!"

Joyce's heart skipped a beat, but was surprised when he suddenly had to push down the urge to barge in and attack. His face was only worried for a second, and he quickly recovered and responded, "I need to know how many hostages they have, and how many apes are in there."

"Uhm, I saw at least Fourteen apes inside, but most hid in rooms once everything started. There were fifteen of us to begin with, but they've taken several to some back rooms, maybe four."

"Ok, so why'd they send you out?"

He gasped as he remembered why, and blurted, "To tell you not to attack! They're waiting for you to storm the building!"

"Any demands? Requests? Anything like that?" Joyce asked, but he shook his head and said, "Not that they told me."

Joyce sighed, then nodded and turned to a mole and said, "Get him checked out by a doctor or something and to safety."

"No!" He said, "I'm not going anywhere until I see my daughter safe!"

"Remember that you have two," Joyce said, "And it's likely the other needs you right now as well."

Still, he hesitated, so he placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Go to your other daughter. I swear to you, I'll get River out of this safe and sound. Same with every other hostage in there. You've given us very valuable information, thank you."

The cheetah nodded, and walked away. He turned back to his team and stated, "We go at 23-Hundred on the dot."

It wasn't actually very long, only about three hours, but it felt like four days. It always did before something like this, people's lives were on the line, and that wasn't an easy thing to shoulder, no matter how many times you do it. His thoughts kept rolling back around to River, trapped inside. It made his blood boil when he thought of those apes hurting her. But, soon it started to rain. But then, it started to do more than rain; It dumped gallons of rain, and the wind blew fiercely, and there was lightning everywhere. He motioned to the Captain from earlier, and when he approached, he said, "I want you to pass this along the line, no-one is to make a sound, no-one is to move inside, no-one is to leave this area without us being with them. If the hostages come out, being them to a nearby building, but keep them here."

The cheetah nodded, and shook his head to clear the rain from his fur before running off to pass it on. Joyce motioned for his team to group up, and he said, "Alright, standard window entry, southern wall, second floor. Bull, I want you on over watch in that skylight."

They both nodded, and readied their rifles, lowered their NVG's (Night Vision Goggles), and flicked on their laser sights. The team nodded individually.

Everyone in the area watched these three, already known to be skilled, but yet to be seen, turn into trained, conditioned, and experienced killers. They were in a low-stand combat stance, rifles raised and steady, and moving silently, quickly, and seamlessly.

They approached the wall, and each pulled a hooked rope from their equipment. One by one, they threw them up, and they latched onto the edge as the sharpened steel ate into the soft stone on the roof. Once all three lines were secured, they strapped in with the hooks on their belts, and let their rifles hang at their sides, and they began to scale the wall with ease, regardless of the cold wind and rain. They all went to the roof, but only one went out of sight, the other two simply found a different spot, both above the windows, and repelled back down, until they were just above the windows.

None could hear their whispered, but their comms picked it up and amplified it to each other's ears.

"You sure you're good to do this Joyce? You looked a bit shaken earlier."

"I'm fine, focus on task. We all ready to breach?"

"Yes sir,"

"Yes sir," They both replied.

"Good, Bull, tell us when the patrols have passed our windows."

There was a few seconds pause, before Bull said, "Now."

In the synchronized movements they had practiced many times, they both jumped back off the wall, and lowered to the window, smashing through it. Once through, Joyce let his rope go loose. And turned to his right and saw a balcony overlooking the reception room with all the hostages. And next to the railing, he saw two stunned apes.

He raised his rifle and fired two, loud shots that kicked it all off. They left the suppressors behind, knowing all stealth would be out the window the second they came in the window. He heard two more from Cooper, and a fifth from Bull. He wasted no time in running for the railing, and looking over.

His eyes landed on River, sitting in the corner, terrified, but looking at him. He didn't linger there, knowing that if he did, it could cost lives. He saw the ape that Bull couldn't, and the ape saw him. It raised its sword to hit one of the hostages, but was shot dead before it could take a step. He took another look around to ensure it was clear, then called out on his radio, but was no longer a whisper, "Bull, get in here and help Cooper clear the building, I'll stay with the hostages."

He heard no response, but didn't need one, and he turned to the hostages in the center and said to the ones below the skylight, "Alright, everyone out of the center!"

Once they were clear, the skylight shattered, and glass fell, causing a few to cry out in fear still. Bull's line came down, and he followed on it shortly after. He hit the ground, and raised his rifle before moving off down one hallway, silently. Joyce meanwhile, couldn't find a flight of stairs, so he vaulted the railing, and hit the ground with a thud. He immediately felt a number of stiches rip open on impact, and suppressed a moan. He pushed himself up, and turned to the hostages, only to be jumped on by River. He went to a knee, but didn't fall down.

"Thank you! By the ancestors, you saved us!" She almost yelled, and he realized he had to push her off, and did so, but did not push her away, as he said, "Not yet, I still need to get you out of here."

She looked hesitant, but nodded and backed up. Joyce looked at the door, hoping to use it, but saw it had been barricaded with chairs and tables. He mumbled a curse, realizing they would have to unblock the door to get out.

He heard a few gunshots, and noticed everyone else jump at the sounds. He saw an ape walk out of an adjoining room, and spot him. It charged at him, but fell dead at the sound of a gunshot. He saw River's eyes go wide at him, but realized she wasn't looking at him. Too late he realized she was looking at the ape behind him, as he was tackled from behind. He hit the ground hard. And felt more wounds open again. He brought his elbow back, and felt it connect with something he hoped was the ape's gut. Either way, the ape rolled off him, and Joyce was on his feet, pistol drawn and aimed, and fired one round between the ape's eyes. He looked around, and saw several more apes coming from down the hallway to the back of the hotel. The back room, he realized.

There were a number of cheetahs between him and the apes, a few in the way of his shots. He acted quickly, and ran to the side. These apes were purely focused on killing the hostages, and one had his sword raised above him, ready to strike a young female cheetah. Joyce fired a round through its neck before it could bring it down. After seeing this, the others changed their target to him. There were three of them charging him. He was able to shoot one, but the second charged him with a downward strike of his sword, which Joyce used his rifle to block. He kept the sword above his head, and used his leg to kick the ape in the stomach, and as it staggered back, he shot it in the chest. The third one caught his arm with its sword, causing Joyce to loose his grip on his rifle. However, rather than his pistol, he grabbed his knife, and held it by the handle, blade down. The Ape swung its sword at him again, but Joyce ducked below it, and sliced the ape's arm, causing it to drop the sword with a cry of pain. It was quickly silenced by his knife.

Almost immediately after the ape fell dead, he was overcome with a sense of exhaustion, and lost his balance. He went to lean against the wall, and saw concerned looks.

"If you are able, grab a sword and defend yourselves." He said, but only barely got the last word out, as he lost his breath. He began to panic as he felt he was being crushed, and his vision began to spin. It was then that he realized how much pain his body was in, and he groaned lowly. He didn't feel her, but he heard River say, "Joyce? What's wrong? What's going on with him?!"

He felt nauseous, and fought the urge to throw up, because he was on his back at this point, and was unsure if he'd be able to roll over if he threw up.

And then his vision faded to black, and shortly after, so did his mind.


	4. Chapter 3

**Not gona lie… I completely forgot I hadn't posted this chapter, and it's been done for almost a month… Sorry about that, but it'll be ok, because I've got a great plan for the next one, and I'm already at 10k words, and motivated to get it done!**

 **(Also ended up taking the chapter down quickly after posting it because the Links didn't work (No idea why)**

 **Alright, real quick before this one starts, I'd like to point out that I have no idea how the ranking system among the City Guards works, so I'm just treating it like how the US Army works, but there are still several differences, so if you're a military nut, please don't leave comments like "That's not how the Army Works" because I know. I'm Enlisted. I know how it works, thank you. Also, unlike my last stories regarding this game, Warfang is a BIG city, with a military (though ravaged by the attacks of Malefor)**

 **Also, I've recently started a new system for writing these stories. I've actually got three stories going right now, this one still being my priority. However, to avoid getting bored, and forcing myself to keep writing, I've got a new system where I jump between which ever story I want to write on, and put on a few pages before changing to another, and the cycle repeats. It's working fairly well, but my current priority is actually leaning more towards the other stories, as I would like to get them started up strong. I won't reveal what these stories are about just yet, only that one of them may be a 1-page story… and still the same length as a normal story. I might split it up into chapters simply for organizational purposes, but rather unlikely. I actually started it nearly a year ago, but it was lost in files and such. But then the new Jurassic world movie came out, reminding me I had this story I could work on… so far, it's on 62 pages, and almost 25,000 words, and only probably half way done story wise. The other I started much more recently, late September (I have no idea when this chapter will be posted, so all these number may or may not be relevant anymore) and it's on about 10 pages and about 9,000 words. It's an XCOM Story, if you're interested in those, you can go check it out…**

 **He dreamt vividly while he was asleep, and they were all nightmares**. More like Memories, but twisted to show only the worst parts. Gunfire. Pain. Other men in uniform around him going down after a spurt of blood, only to struggle to their feet, fire off a few more shots, then have their chest explode in red blood as bullets tore through them. He saw other men with different guns and uniforms enter the picture; Russian Spetsnaz. Their mission was going horribly wrong. Down goes another man. Two Spetsnaz drop dead, three more take their place. One was suddenly standing over him, smiling as he raised his rifle. But, he hesitated, and spoke into his radio. He was then issuing orders, and his soldiers looked panicked. A door burst into splinters off to the left, and a number of soldiers entered the building. Navy SEALs. They quickly dispatched the hostile forces, and one approached him, and called, "He's alive, but barely."

The dream very suddenly ended, and after what felt like years of darkness, he finally calmed, and awoke.

When he awoke, he was at first horribly terrified, as he still couldn't see. But, he managed to push the fear down, and waited patiently for something to happen, as he hadn't moved yet, and the last thing he remembered was being in combat, so he couldn't afford the possibility he was captured. So, he was still.

Thankfully, his vision came back to him soon, and everything faded into existence. He was in a brightly lit room made of cut stone, and was lying on a bed. He was not restrained, so he figured it was safe to assume he was not captured. He lifted his head, and looked around.

He was inside some sort of hospital room, with beds lined up on both sides of the large room, and big open windows were lined along the walls, letting the sunshine pour inside. He was also alone in the room, laying in a new, clean uniform. He saw all his gear sitting on the bed to his left, and he slowly sat up, trying his best to ignore the soreness in his body. He put his legs over the side, and his socks hit the ground. He noticed his boots next to the bed, and he grabbed them. As he was tying the laces, he noticed a shadow fly past the window, followed by another quickly after. He knew someone was coming.

He saw his sidearm in its holster, which was apart of his vest, and grabbed it. He still wasn't entirely sure he was safe just yet. He held it in hand, and ran to the door, and waited on the right side of it for it to open. He heard approaching footsteps, and the door creaked open slowly at first, but then it stopped, and he heard someone whisper, "Wait, he's gone."

Then he heard a somewhat familiar voice yell, "WHAT?!"

And the door flew open, almost hitting him. He saw Spyro and Cynder sprint towards the bed, and come to a sliding halt next to it. Joyce sighed silently, and put the pistol in the back of his pants, the handle still sticking out, and moved his shirt to cover it. He then heard Cynder ask, "Where could he have gone? Should we tell the others?"

"Well, you can tell them, but I'm right here." Joyce said, a smile creeping into his features as he saw the two astonished, young dragons stare at him, wide eyed. However, they then reacted quickly, and Cynder ran over to him, while Spyro smiled happily and walked over. Cynder came to yet another sliding halt at his feet, actually hitting his legs, almost making him fall over.

She had gotten bigger, as had Spyro, he realized. They were now both about an inch taller than the last time he saw them, and clearly heavier, and now Cynder's shoulder came up to his stomach, and her head to his chest. She didn't jump on him, but was clearly looking him over.

"What're you looking for? I'm fine." Joyce said, but she continued to look, as she said, "No, you aren't allowed to say that for yourself anymore."

Surprised, he asked, "And why is that?"

"You know what Cooper told us for why you passed out?" She asked, but didn't wait for a reply, "He said you had simply pushed your body too hard. Your wounds got the better of you, and you passed out from both blood loss and pure exhaustion. You almost died." She said the last part with true concern in her voice. However, she finally looked content that he was ok, and turned to Spyro, who simply smiled and said, "I'm just glad you're alive now. We could really use the help."

Joyce's face went serious as he remembered the situation they were in, and said, "What all has happened since? And how long have I been out?"

"Well, you were out for almost a Month," Cynder said, catching him off guard, but before he could say anything, Spyro said, "The attacks have become much more frequent, but mostly small scale, not much happens. But the storms are starting to get worse. We've lost several buildings to fire, and a few to high winds, but not much else. Almost like the city was designed to handle extreme weather."

"Well, this isn't the first time this has happened, according to that Dragon from before. Speaking of which, we may need to speak with him some more." He replied, but the look on Spyro's face said that that wouldn't happen again, and was confirmed when he said, "Actually, both those dragons were killed… well, rather mysteriously. No-one knows who killed them, they were just found, throats cut in their sleep."

Joyce knew what had happened, he could put two and two together. He didn't think he needed to say anything, so he didn't.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Well, your team was helping out with everything, but other than that, there isn't much news."

"Well, ok, I'll get geared up, and we'll go take a look, meet up with everyone else."

Spyro had a look that he was hiding something, but it disappeared quickly, and Joyce didn't push it, he'd find out soon enough.

"I don't think you need your full combat gear..." Cynder said, and he replied with, "Are there still attacks happening?"

"Not right now, but occasionally, yes, but-" she said, but he interrupted, "Then I'll be wearing full Combat Gear."

He put his vest on, and checked his rifle. In total, the Mag in his rifle had 22 rounds, he had two more full ones on his vest, and when he checked his bag, he found four more that he put into his chest carrier, along with two frags, his FAK (First Aid Kit), another flash, and two Smoke grenades, along with approximately 30 lbs. of other miscellaneous gear. He needed a restock, and soon. He could do a lot with 142 rounds, but in a survival situation, such as what he's been in the last few weeks, he wouldn't last long.

"So where's my truck? I gota get some more gear before we get into another fight."

"Hold on," Spyro said, "Things have become a little more complicated."

Joyce sighed, realizing this was going to be bad, and asked, "Complicated how?"

"Well, your friends were placed under arrest for refusing to follow orders-"

"WHAT?!" Joyce roared, "Who the FUCK Placed MY TEAM UNDER ARREST?"

"I did." Said a calm voice.

Joyce turned towards the door, and saw a familiar Dragon standing In the door way; Fenrir. Joyce made a deliberate threat, and flicked his rifle off safety, and gripped the handle with his right hand, while his left was hovering just over the knife on his hip.

"You're going to release them. Now." Joyce said with a nod, but the Dragon seemed unintimidated, and Joyce realized he must not know the true power of his firearm. He was completely confident that he could mortally wound this dragon in less than a second, and kill it in three, and the dragon clearly disagreed.

Spyro and Cynder, however, had already seen the deadly accurate power of these weapons, and attempted to intervene.

"It was just temporary-" Spyro started, but the Dragon interrupted him, "Actually, because Terrador gave me full control of you and your friends, I'm extending it to a much longer sentence. We can't trust you."

Spyro himself looked infuriated, but before he could protest, about a dozen armed moles entered the room.

"Arrest him." Fenrir stated, but Joyce immediately raised his rifle and said calmly, "Take one step towards me, and you're dead."

These moles clearly didn't know either, and showed no fear, despite his threat. And they also clearly believed what Fenrir said, and showed no regret. They drew swords, and one took a step forward, but before Joyce could put a bullet between his eyes, Spyro jumped and pushed his barrel lower, causing the mole to get hit in the leg instead.

"Stop it!" He shouted at them, "If I can trust him, you can trust him. You WILL trust him and his team!" He shouted, but Fenrir simply laughed and said, "I don't take orders from you, Savior or not, you betrayed us when you helped her." He said "her" with an immense amount of disgust, and looked at Cynder. Joyce glanced at her, and saw the confident Dragon he had always seen, turn into a sad, small, and regretful Dragoness. He didn't like that. This Dragon just turned her into a different Dragon, and he despised him for it. Even Spyro seemed speechless.

"You son of a bitch," Joyce said calmly, "This is between you.. and me. Leave her out of it, and Spyro. You owe them your lives, all of you."

"And you owe him yours as well." Spyro said, confusing them, but Joyce knew what he was talking about.

"Who do you think single-handedly destroyed the ape fortress, and enabled the forewarning of the attack that no doubt would have killed most of you. And, he survived to save the lives of 16 hostages just weeks ago. He pushed himself so hard for us, for our city, that he almost died. You still want to arrest him?"

The moles looked among themselves, rethinking their orders. However, Fenrir stated, "Yes. Now arrest him."

At this point, only two moles were still following orders, and as they approached him, Joyce decided to take a non-lethal approach, and shot them in the leg. As they rolled on the ground in agony, Fenrir snarled, and roared a challenge at him. He immediately followed it with a fireball. Joyce pushed Spyro out of the way, and hoped Cynder would see it, too.

He came out of the roll, and shot a round into the dragon's leg, and he heard a roar. But then, he heard the fireball explode, and a cry of pain. Cynder did not see it coming, and got hit in the face, completely unprepared.

"No!" Spyro shouted, and ran to her unmoving form. Fenrir, meanwhile, managed to stand in his feet, his injured leg limp. Rage filled Joyce.

He dropped his rifle, and drew his knife and sidearm. He was going to kill this dragon, but it wouldn't be fast. He fired several more shots into the same leg, causing the dragon to roar, and Joyce ran at the Dragon. Fenrir noticed this, and attempted to hit him with his wing, but Joyce just ducked under it. However, when Fenrir flared his other wing in anger, Joyce jumped at it, and pinned it to the wooden door frame with his knife. Fenrir again roared in agony as Joyce put two more rounds into his back. Joyce focused in his legs, and soon the large Dragon fell to the ground in defeat, but not yet death.

Joyce wanted him to see what he had done before he killed him. However, the Dragon refused to open his eyes, so Joyce simply said, "Fine, be like that."

However, before he could pull the trigger, he hesitated a moment, and looked up. However, he only saw looks of approval from the Moles, but what solidified his resolve, was seeing Cynder still unmoving on the floor and Spyro standing over her body. His face became stone, and he pulled the trigger. The bullet landed right next to the Dragon's head, and Joyce ran to help Spyro.

As he approached them, he realized Cynder was awake, just not moving. Then he noticed that she was infact moving a little, as her wings and paws would occasionally move slightly.

"I have no idea what's wrong with her, she's awake, but she's not responding to anything. It's like she's dreaming, but she's awake."

Joyce knelt down next to her, then looked to Spyro and told him, "Fly as fast as you can, get Cooper, and your best doctor over here!"

However, he looked hesitant to leave her, and glanced at Fenrir, who was beginning to stir slightly. Joyce hit Spyro to catch his attention, and yelled at him, "I'll stay with her, now Go!"

Spyro jumped into action, and ran as fast as he could out the door, leaving Joyce alone with the other soldiers, Cynder, and the moderately conscious Fenrir. The soldiers stood, awkwardly, and waited for someone to tell them what to do, so Joyce took advantage of this, and said, "Watch Fenrir, should he try to so much as move, you knock him on the head, and stay at the door. Stop anyone that isn't Spyro, My team, or the guardians from entering."

They only hesitated for a moment, then jumped into action and did what he told them too. Several minutes later, Joyce heard heavy wing-beats, and he hoped it was Spyro returning with another Dragon or someone to help. While he didn't genuinely care for Cynder, he barely knew her, but he did know she didn't deserve this, so he would do everything he could to help her.

Suddenly, there was shouting from the door, as someone tried to get in. Joyce looked up and saw River and Timber in the doorway, trying to get past. Joyce called over, "Let them through! They're ok."

The moles looked back at him, and he nodded confirmation, and they stepped aside. The two were immediately sprinting towards Joyce, and he stood, and was forced to catch River as she jumped into him, and yelled, "We thought you were going to die! We heard the shots just now, and were confused, and… and you slept for almost-"

"A month I know, but now is not th-" However, it was then her turn to cut him off, and she said, "Oh, while you were out, Timber and I managed to work something out. You can make your decision on which of us you want any time yo-" But was cut off when Joyce pushed her back, and yelled, "Excuse me?!"

Surprised at his reaction, and simply took a step back, and let him finish, "I can choose? What the hell is wrong with you two?!" However, this was more directed towards River, as he saw Timber clearly disagreed with what River was saying, so he gave her a quick look, and she understood. He then gestured to Cynder and said, "Can't you tell see I have bigger problems? And we're still in the middle of a Fucking War!"

He sighed loudly, and held his head in his hands for a second, calming himself. He didn't even look at them, and said, "Even if I wanted to choose one of you, we have a war to finish. Maybe, just maybe, after everything has settled, if we're even still alive, maybe we can talk then. But for now, I don't want to hear another word on this subject. Especially from you, River. I never agreed to a relationship with you, you forced me into it. You both have a long way to go if you want that from me, and I warn you, I am not an easy person to get along with, let alone live with for the rest of your life. But for now, let's concentrate on Cynder, Ok?"

They both nodded, River looked ashamed and stunned, but Timber just looked a bit embarrassed for her. Joyce turned back to Cynder, and found that her eyes were focused on him. A little surprised, he leaned forward and said quietly, "Cynder? Are you awake?"

She was on her feet in an instant, and actually clawed at Joyce's face. He hadn't expected such a violent reaction from someone who was so concerned for his well-being not 10 minutes prior, and could only avoid the attack enough for him to avoid going Blind. However, Cynder managed to land three gashes on his forehead.

She jumped away from him, and stood on defense, but didn't move to attack. Timber went to draw her sword, but Joyce stopped her, having noticed the confusion, terror, and anger in her eyes, it was even etched across her entire body. Timber stopped, and shortly noticed this herself. River, however, simply backed up to the other side of the room. Cynder's eyes remained on him, clearly seeing him as the biggest threat, but there was also a small amount of recognition in her gaze, and Joyce knew he could work off that.

"Cynder, do you know where you are?" Joyce asked, but she only responded, "How do you know my name?"

"Because, Cynder," He said slowly, trying to look unthreatening, "You know me, and I know you. You and Spyro have been traveling with me And my team, we've fought side-by-side."

Joyce could tell she was beginning to remember it, but she seemed to be repressing the memories; refusing to believe them. She shook her head and asked, "Where's Spyro? How do you know his name?"

"The same way I know yours, and he's actually coming back with help right now. You got hit in the head during a fight with that dragon," he said and pointed towards Fenrir's still unmoved form. Joyce knew she was beginning to remember these events. However, she still refused to believe them, so Joyce asked her, "You don't believe me, why?"

"I… I… I want too, and Something is saying that I should believe you… but… I can't."

"Why?" Joyce asked, and she actually got angry, punched the floor and said, "I don't know!"

"If you don't know why you can't, then maybe just try trusting me. You might find it a bit more believable. Or, we can wait until Spyro gets back, and he can tell you, but either way, let's just calm down, ok?"

As he said that, he suddenly had to wipe the blood from his eyes, as the gash on his head began to pour blood, his heart rate being as high as it was. Cynder suddenly looked down at her claws, and was stunned to see his blood on her claws. Joyce noticed her gaze, and started, "It's fine, it's not a big deal-" But she cut him off, "I hurt you that badly… and you didn't retaliate?"

Surprised at the direction that she went with that, he said, "Well, of course not."

"I could have blinded you, and you did nothing to hurt me in return…" she said, more to herself than to Joyce. Joyce saw as she put this together, realizing that he really didn't mean her any harm. She relaxed immensely, and the tension in the room dissipated all together.

However, Cynder wasn't completely uninjured, and had a gash on the top of her head. Joyce beckoned her closer, and she slowly approached him, and he said, "Hold still, let me look at this."

He took her head in his hands and held her still as he peered closer at the wound, and she tensed, but let him. Evidently on the top of her head, there was less scale, and made more of this leather-like skin that had the same color as the scales. There was a two inch cut across the top of her head, and Joyce told her, "You'll probably need stitches."

However, Cynder said, "No, a healing crystal will do much more, and much faster."

Joyce had yet to hear about these healing crystals, and his features were lined with confusion when he asked, "Healing Crystals? What are-"

However, he was cut short when he heard more wing beats. He turned to the door, and waited to see who had arrived. He saw Spyro run inside, along with another Cheetah, and Terrador right behind them. As Terrador came to the doorway, he stopped and yelled, "By the Ancestors! What did you do?!"

"Busy, will explain later." Joyce said, hoping he wouldn't have to explain later. He motioned the cheetah over, as he assumed she was the Doctor Spyro had brought.

"What's wrong with her?" The female cheetah asked, and Joyce responded with, "Well, earlier she was awake, and moving a little, but unresponsive, and just a few minutes ago she became responsive again, but didn't remember me. She remembered Spyro, but didn't know any of us."

"I still don't." She said.

"She's also got a nasty cut on her head." Joyce finished, and Cynder added, "And a hell of a headache."

Her last statement surprised them all. The only ones they had ever heard the word 'hell' from was Joyce and his team, and Cynder noticed their odd gazes. She then realized the same thing, and admitted, "I guess I remember more than I thought."

"Hmm, yes, well what can you do for Fenrir over there? Not that I wouldn't like to see the slimy bastard bleed to death, but I think that'd look bad on my Rep." Joyce stated

The doctor approached him, and looked over his wounds a bit. After a few minutes, she simply pulled a small, red crystal from her bag, and touched it to his side. Joyce watched, astonished, as most of the worst wounds closed up. The doctor then took a step back, and said, "That should keep him alive for now."

However, she looked down at the Crystal in her hand, and gasped loudly, and dropped it. It hit the ground with a bounce, and settled on the floor a few feet away, but she still backed up even further away. Curious, Joyce approached it, and saw that half of the originally red crystal had been turned into a deep blackish purple color. Joyce went to pick it up, but then remembered the way the Doctor reacted, and put on his gloves first. Once he had it, Terrador approached as well, but when he saw it, he too went wide eyed and took a step back.

"Wh… what? How did that happen?" He asked, then turned his gaze on the still unconscious Fenrir.

"What is it?" Joyce asked, and Spyro answered, "A Dark Crystal. Evil. They drain the powers of dragons. No-one quite know how they work, because every time someone has tried to study them, they've gone insane…. Or tried to kill everyone."

Joyce watched as the black portion of the Crystal slowly ate its way up the rest of the Crystal, until there was no red left. It was beckoning him to touch it. To take off his glove and feel the darkness within. He was almost tempted to do just that. However, instead, he dropped the Crystal to the ground, and used his boot to crunch it into dust.

"Anyone wana tell me why this son of a bitch turned that Crystal black?" Joyce asked, but clearly none of them had an answer, so he said, "Alright, I want him locked up in the strongest prison you have, and reinforce it. No-one is to so much as touch him, and anyone who does, or he touches, is to be placed in a cell separated from others until it is known if they are affected by it. We have no idea what this is, so let's treat it like worst case scenario, and that it's transmittable."

Joyce left them to do their work, then turned to Terrador and said, "Now that I'm back on my feet, I need full operational authority, and I need all your soldiers at my disposal." However he saw Terrador hesitate, so he added, "Your commander is a traitor, you have no idea who else among your ranks is in league with him, best thing to do is to hand over the authority to someone outside."

Terrador finally nodded, and asked, "What do you need?"

"A command Center, My Truck, my Team, and all your Officers for a briefing." He replied simply.

"Any Preference on your Command Center?"

"Somewhere easily defendable, high windows, few doors, unobstructed line of sight to the street. Also needs to be on the main street so we can get our vehicles in and out of the city."

Terrador nodded, and set out to do just that. Joyce followed Spyro to the jails, and went inside to free his team. As they walked in, several of the guards stood to stop them, and Joyce unsnapped his sidearm, his rifle hanging on his chest. However, they saw Spyro, and relaxed, and one asked, "Why are you here?"

"To free my team. I've been given full Operational Authority over every soldier in the city. Your last Commander was a traitor, so I'm filling his place."

"Really?" One asked, confuses, and another added, "Why not Luna?"

"I don't know who Luna is, but Terrador gave me the authority. Now, I'm freeing my team-" However he was cut off by a female voice that said, "And we're just supposed to take your word for it?" He turned and was stunned to see a beautiful, young, dark blue dragoness in the doorway, "How do we know Terrador actually gave you the authority?"

Joyce hesitated, completely caught off guard by this stunning looking dragoness, "Uh, uhm, well…" He shook his head slightly to clear his mind, realizing she was waiting for an answer, "What reason do I have to lie?"

"To free your friends and leave." She said, and he scoffed, and placed a hand on the top of his rifle, and said, "What exactly makes you think I couldn't come in here and take them? I'm trying to be nice here. And Besides, why would Spyro be here with me?"

She walked into the room, confidence in her every step, and Joyce studied her features. She was clearly an adult Dragon, but still a young adult at that. Her shoulder came to the lower portion of his chest, and her slender neck held her head only a few inches above his own. Most of her body was protected with dark blue scales, but her belly and wing membranes were various shades of light blue. Her horns were long and made of white bone, and slender and curved up only slightly in the middle. Her tail was long and Elegant, and unlike most other dragons, held no blade on the end. Her face was a series of perfect edges and curves, each complimenting the other, and her blue eyes sparkled like diamonds, even in this low light.

"That's exactly what I was just wondering… Why are you with him, young Dragon?" she asked, tearing Joyce from his examination.

Spyro clearly looked a bit offended, seeing as she wasn't a great deal older than he was, but swallowed his pride for the time being and replied confidently, "Because it's true. Terrador knew he was the best one for the job, seeing as how he's already saved the city once, and saved countless other lives numerous times."

She looked a little surprised, and said, "Well, if that's the case, I'll take your word on Terrador's decree, and I would certainly like to hear more about how he did this, but I'm sure you're just as busy as I am. Another time, perhaps." She said with a teasing smile at Joyce, who only looked down and scratched his neck. She chuckled, and walked out the door, and Joyce couldn't help but notice the mesmerizing motion of her hips as she walked out of sight. He was snapped back when Spyro whacked him with his tail and said quietly, "Eyes up." And then louder, "Lets do what we came here to do, and then let's get to work."

Little to both their knowledge, she had overheard this, and glanced back to see Joyce's slightly red face, and she smiled.

Joyce nodded, and cleared his throat, and spoke to the mole closest to him, "Take me to where they're being held." And the Mole complied. They soon came to a rather plain looking cell, and the two were inside. Bull was busy doing some Push ups, while Cooper was sleeping. However, when Bull saw Joyce, he smacked Cooper's leg, waking him. Bull didn't wait for Cooper, and stood as Joyce unlocked and opened the door. Bull greeted him with a bear hug that lasted only about a second before the two separated.

"Good to see you on your feet!" Cooper said, and stood up to greet Joyce as well, however, he did so in his own way, which consisted of just a slap on the back.

"How are ya feeling? You took some pretty big hits, and pushed yourself for way too long. Let's try to avoid ever having you go so close to the brink of death ever again, ok?" Cooper said, and Joyce nodded, and replied, "Well, I'm still feeling rather tired, and I'm pretty hungry, so let's get our business done quick and maybe we will have some actual food tonight. Sound good?"

Real food always sounded good, as a majority of their diet had been MRE's. They exited the Prison, and waited outside for Terrador to come get them, so Spyro took the time to catch Joyce up on events. Evidently there had only been small skirmishes between the guards and apes at the wall, and only one other event inside the walls. Apparently that is when his team was put in jail, as they refused to follow orders other than Joyce's. In total, four guards had been killed, another two dozen injured, and three civilians had been killed, including the elder Dragon who gave them information. However, Bull and Cooper had also put eight moles in The hospital while they were trying to arrest them.

The storms were another deal entirely, however, and had killed atleast five guards and civilians alike, with either lightning or flooding or nocking things over with high winds. However, he had been informed that the weather had improved the last few days, and looked to be clear for a few more.

Perfect time to regroup and organize, and Joyce knew it, and so did everyone else. Terrador returned swiftly, and led them to their trucks. Once there, Joyce listened as he spoke, but was rearming himself, as was his squad, who had their gear stripped away.

"I've got every Colonel, Major, Captain and Lieutenant in your Head Quarters waiting for you."

"Good, thank you." Joyce replied, but Terrador wasn't quite finished, and he told him proudly, "We've got an Army of two Brigades, a total of nearly 9,000 troops on standby. We did well to ensure we had a greater army after Malefor's attacks."

"Well done, but are they well trained?" He asked skeptically.

"Well, the First Brigade is the one we have for Active Duty, and that one consists of 3,500 maintained and trained soldiers, but the other one is more of a reserve. They're trained as well, but just not maintained."

"Got it." Joyce said, then looked to his team, who had finished collecting their gear, and said, "Alright, let's load up and get to work!"

He jumped in the truck, and with a twist of the key it rumbled to life. He saw a few of the civilians who had been watching take a few steps back. Then the Humvee started up, and pulled infront of the truck. Bull was again in the Gunner's seat, while Cooper was driving.

"Alright, lead the way, Terrador!" Joyce yelled out his window, and watched the Dragon take to the skies. Joyce honked the air horn on the truck twice, and they started moving at a steady pace down the busy street. There were confused stares, scared looks, angry glares, and everything in-between as they went down the street. Joyce simply stared ahead, however he smiled and waved at a few who smiled and waved at him as well. Joyce could clearly see that Bull was on edge, his head twisting and turning at every movement that caught his eye.

"Something wrong up there, Bull?" Joyce asked over the radio, and saw Bull jump a little, but then heard him respond, "No, just a lot of angry looking creatures out here."

"I'd be more weary of the scared ones, if I were you." Joyce said, and Bull didn't respond. Soon, they arrived at a large, stone building that was exactly what Joyce was looking for. It was two stories, and had a small balcony on the second floor in the middle of the building. There was a small courtyard out front, which the two trucks pulled into and stopped. It was surrounded by a ten-foot brick wall on all sides, and appeared to stretch out toward the back as well. The Truck's air brakes hissed as he came to a stop, and jumped out after turning it off. He looked around, and noticed the intricate design of the house and the yard around him. Terrador approached him, and said, "Is it what you were looking for?"

"Yes, it's perfect… but is this someone's home? I wasn't looking to evict someone.." He replied, and Terrador replied, "Actually, the owner of the home offered it up as your HQ the second they heard you needed one."

"Really?" He asked, then added, "I'd quite like to meet this generous home owner."

"Soon, but first you need to meet with the officers. They're in the back, waiting for you."

Joyce nodded, and walked around the house, flanked by his team on both sides. As he walked into the back, he noticed immediately the large number of creatures out here. Most appeared to be Cheetahs, but there were a few dragons and Moles as well. There was a large, stone wall that went around the large grassy area, and a Podium and a small, makeshift stage stood on the right side of the yard. Joyce walked up onto the stage, but handed his rifle off to Bull, and everyone else stood, but hesitated to salute, causing him to wonder if they saluted at all, or if they had yet to hear his position. Terrador walked up, and called, "Yes, its true, I have appointed Joyce here, to be your new acting General on account of Fenrir's traitorous actions."

With that, they all snapped to attention, and Terrador looked at Joyce and said quietly, "They're all yours."

Joyce stood behind the podium, and noticed Luna standing on the ground to his right, and facing the crowd with vigilant eyes.

"Alright, at-ease, take your seats… or stand, what ever you do normally." He said a little nervously, not having realized he would have the label of General. A few in the crowd noticed his nervousness, and glared with disapproval. Joyce sighed and said, "Alright, let's be frank. I know you all very much disagree with me being put in charge, but it is necessary. We don't know how deep, or if at all, Fenrir's traitorous roots reach." He paused, then said, "If any of you have been involved with Fenrir's actions, or know of anyone else involved, please, I urge you to step forward, and admit it or turn them in now. The punishment will be far less severe if you do so now." However, when he saw no-one stand, he warned, "If we have to find out the hard way, there are only two ways it will end for you; Death, or life in Prison. You come forward now, you will simply loose your rank, and walk away." He waited several seconds, and asked, "Anyone?" But no-one stood, so he continued, "Good. Now, moving on. First and foremost, I do not know everything that is going on, yet. I will soon, but for now, if you feel I've made a mistake in your assignment, feel free to voice your opinion."

He looked to the two Colonels sitting in the front row, and said to one, "I want you to split your men into groups for assisting in City Watch and protecting the citizens, Patrols, and training the untrained soldiers." He turned to the other, and said, "I need you to divide your forces into those trained, and those not trained. Those not trained, will be trained by members of the first Battalion. Your trained troops will be responsible for recon and missions that myself or you will assign."

However, he wasn't quite done, and a particular cheetah caught his eye, "Captain Frelin, stand up and step forward."

The cheetah was surprised, and hesitantly stood before slowly walking to the front, until he finally stood before the podium.

"Congratulations on your new Promotion Major." Joyce said, and the cheetah was baffled beyond response, "I have a task for you, we will speak about it later, you may take your seat."

Everyone else in the crowd looked just as confused and surprised, but didn't have much opportunity to protest when Joyce said, "Alright, Colonels, you have your orders, split your forces accordingly. You're all Dismissed-"

Joyce saw it coming, but didn't think he'd be able to get out of the way; an arrow was shot from a rooftop across the street. However, he didn't have to move, as a large body slammed into him, pushing him out of the way. He quickly maneuvered his body so he wouldn't be landed on, and hit the ground with a roll. As he came to his knee, he drew his sidearm and fired at the figure across the street, hitting it several times in the chest.

There was a commotion among the officers, having just witnessed an assassination attempt, but Joyce quickly looked to see who had pushed him out of the way. And he saw none other than Luna standing behind him, scanning everything within her sight. Joyce gave his team a quick rally symbol, and as he came off the stage, Bull tossed him his rifle, and Joyce quickly chambered a round, and they moved to where the shooter was last seen.

They found him on the sidewalk, having fallen forward after being shot. It was another Ape. Joyce gave another symbol with his hands, telling them that they were going to sweep the building. However, as they stacked up on the door, he noticed Luna had joined them, and stood right behind them.

Rather than argue and get her to leave, which would cost precious time, he simply sighed, and counted down with his fingers; 3…. 2…. 1… He closed his fist in an execute sign, and Bull quickly opened the door, and they moved inside. It was a simple hallway, three doors and a set of stairs at the end. Joyce led the group forward, and they stopped at the first door, where Bull entered the room and cleared it. He exited the room, signaling that it was clear, and they moved to the next door, where Cooper then entered and cleared it. It was silent for several seconds, then Cooper exited the room, signaling it was clear. Then came Joyce's turn to enter the room. He knew there was someone in this one, he could hear movement from inside. He reached down, and quietly tried to open it, but it was locked. He pointed to Bull, who took position in front of the door. Joyce again counted down with his fingers, 3…2…1 and Bull kicked down the door, and Joyce quickly moved inside, and he heard a scream of a young child.

His flashlight landed on the huddled forms of three Cheetahs; one elderly, one adult, and one child. Joyce quickly shushed them, and lowered his rifle.

"How many are in the building?" He asked, and the adult female replied, "Th-there were four. The-they took my husband away! I don't know what they did to him! Find him please!"

"Its Ok, I'll find him, just stay here, and be quiet." Joyce whispered, and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him, then whispered, "At least three more hostiles inside, looking for an Adult, male Cheetah, too."

He then turned around, and the approached the stairs. Bull went first, and peered up, then continued to make his way slowly up the stairs. Once at the top, he gave the all clear, and the rest moved up.

Joyce personally wanted to turn around and ask Luna to leave, but she was obviously staying out of the way, and Joyce did want to show off a little in front of her. So, she followed them up the stairs. Once at the Top, Joyce saw only two more doors, and a ladder at the end of the hallway. They approached the first door, and Bull entered.

Joyce heard three muffled shots, knowing that he had contact. Cooper immediately entered behind him, and they determined the room clear, but before they could come back out, the door down the hall opened, and out came an ape. Joyce fired once, hitting it square in the forehead, and watched it slump dead in the doorway. However, he heard scuffling and a struggle from inside the room, and he moved up. When he looked in the room, he saw the Male cheetah being held by the last ape, a knife to his throat. Joyce could see the fear in both their eyes, so he acted before the Ape could solidify his stance.

He fired once, hitting the Ape in the fore-arm, causing him to drop the knife with a howl of pain. However, the bullet went through the ape's arm, and into the Cheetah's shoulder, causing him to drop in pain, giving Joyce the shot he needed. An opportunity that did not go to waste. Joyce didn't hesitate to put a bullet between the ape's eyes, and it dropped dead.

Joyce immediately rushed forward to the cheetah, and apologized before swiftly bandaging the wound. It wasn't serious, Joyce actually quickly picked the bullet out with his fingers. It looked worse than it was, he concluded. However, the rest of his body was clearly not as ok. The cheetah had obviously been tied up and tortured or beaten.

"Cooper, keep an eye on him, we'll go clear the roof." Joyce said, and Cooper nodded. The roof was clear, and just as Joyce had expected, they found a bow and a few arrows, but no other hostiles.

"How did they get in? And how did they hear of your promotion so fast?" He heard Luna ask, and Joyce, having already given it some thought himself, replied quickly, "They probably didn't. They had every reason to try and kill me without knowledge of my new position. No, what I can't figure out, is why they were here. There was no way they knew I would start living across the street, probably still didn't know, so they must have been here for something else… the downstairs area was completely trashed.."

"Probably a fight between the apes and the cheetah."

"No.. that was far to organized, they flipped everything, and opened every drawer. They were looking for something, and didn't find it, so they tortured the home owner, the Male cheetah, to find it." He said, just speaking as the thoughts came to mind. He had an idea, and he ran back downstairs. Cooper has set up a lamp in the room, and was stitching the wound in the cheetah's shoulder, while he sat in a chair.

Joyce walked up, and knelt down in front of him, and asked, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Uhm… my name is Dawson."

"Ok, Dawson, I'm my name is Christopher Joyce, and I have a few questions for you."

"Yeah, sure, I'll answer any questions you have, but I'd like to see my family first."

"You'll see them in just a moment, I only have one question for you." He said, and the cheetah nodded, so Joyce asked, "What were they looking for? Why did they torture you?"

He was at a loss for words, and stuttered for a moment before saying, "I don't know. They just kept asking about someone named Fox."

All three humans froze, went rigid, and were silent for several seconds, and sent looks in each other's directions, catching Luna's attention. Joyce then asked, "What about him?"

"Uh, they wanted to know where he was. They seemed to think that I knew."

"Do you?" Joyce asked, and he immediately shook his head, so Joyce stood and said, "Alright, your family is downstairs. We'll get you a doctor to treat your wounds, I'm sorry this happened to you, but please, speak nothing of what they wanted to anyone."

And with that, they left the building. Outside it was chaos, and Terrador asked urgently, "What happened in there? I heard shots."

"Four dead apes, a terrified family." Joyce said, obviously wanting to avoid the other event.

"It's clear, but we need a doctor inside to keep an eye on the Male cheetah inside."

He heard someone say, "I'll get one." But he didn't see who. He didn't say anything, as his team followed him back across the street. Joyce realized that everyone else had been expecting something from him. Annoyed, and wanting to speak alone with his team, he quickly yelled, "You all have your orders, now get to it!"

As he said it, he watched all the officers scramble to do what he said. He opened the door to the house, and moved inside. He failed to notice Luna follow them, as he let his guard down and stopped trying to hide his astonishment, confusion, and hope.

Not even turning to his team, he asked, "Did he really say Fox? Or am I going god-damn insane?"

"Who is Fox?" Luna asked, and he quickly spun around, wide eyed. She realized he hadn't wanted anyone else to hear this conversation, and smiled expectantly.

"Shit…" he mumbled, knowing he had to tell her now. He knew he had to, but now he debated lying to her. He knew he had to give her some trust, and something told him he really should trust her. He had a feeling he would come to trust her either way, but before he could figure it out, Terrador walked in.

However, the roof was a bit low, and he had to slouch a bit to fit inside. As he entered, everyone turned their attention to him, but Joyce shot Luna a quick look, telling her to shut her mouth. She smiled at him, but kept her mouth shut.

"One last thing, Joyce. In order to keep you supervised, I've assigned Luna here to be your personal guard. Less because I think you need a guard, and more because we've decided you need help with the social aspects of being a General of this army. Plus, this is her home. She's generously volunteered her home to be your head quarters."

While the last part had slightly astonished Joyce, but he ignored it and instead asked, "Wait, social aspects? Generals are not friends, they are superiors, and rightfully so."

"Exactly, and you haven't proven to them that you are rightfully their General. She has. Hence, she will be your close second, and I hope you two will become close friends."

Joyce glanced at her, a blank expression, but silently hoping for the same. Luna, however, gave him a flirty look and said jokingly, "More than friends, I hope."

He rolled his eyes, and she laughed. Terrador looked confused, and said, "Well… I guess I'll leave you alone for now. We'll check in every few weeks, but try to socialize with your troops."

Joyce nodded, and watched as Terrador left. The moment he was gone, Joyce sighed in relief, unraveling tension Luna hadn't even known was there.

"Ok, now you have to tell me who Fox is, and why you are clearly hiding it from everyone."

Joyce sighed yet again, and thought over his answer. He looked to his team mates, and they both gave him hesitant looks. He shrugged, showing them he didn't have much choice.

"Fox… where to begin.." He said, "Well, first off it was the Code-name for another member of our team, specifically our leader. His real name was Jackson, but he preferred Fox. Very few people knew his full name, and in recognition of his traditions, I will not tell you his full name." He said, and she nodded understanding, and asked, "What happened to him?"

Their moods grew somber, as the events of his death came back to them in force, and the atmosphere grew sad. Eventually, Joyce managed to reply, "He got killed during the mission we were on, right before we were sent here, along with another member of our team. Just a few hours before, in fact. I don't know if this is the same person… actually, it can't be him. We buried him in the sand. He was Dead."

"So who is this new Fox, then?"

"I have no idea," he replied, and looked around at his team, before saying, "But we plan to find out. We're going to follow every lead we can to find him. I doubt he's the one we're thinking of, but we have to find out. And if the Apes are looking for him we have to find him first."

"Of course, but for now, you rest. You may think you're healed up, but you really do need to take it easy for a little while." Luna said, reminding Joyce of Cynder's concern, however much more difficult to detect.

"I'm a SEAL, I don't take things easy. And if I did, I wouldn't be where I am now." He replied stubbornly, causing Luna to slightly roll her eyes. It was silent for a few moments before Joyce said, "But for tonight, we'll sleep and relax."

Bull smiled and said, "Amen to that."

Joyce turned to Luna and asked, "Since this is your home, would you point us to where we will sleep?"

"Yes, of course." She said with a smile, and led them up a set of stairs. They came to the first door, and she pointed to it and said, "Two of you can stay in there, there are two guest beds in there. A little further is the Master Bedroom, one of you can stay in there."

"Where are you sleeping?" Joyce asked, and regretted asking almost immediately, and she flashed a flirty smile, and a look in her eye that made him nervous, as she replied, "The Master Bedroom."

With that, she walked down the hall, and again Joyce glanced at her hips, which she was now taunting him with. Bull and Cooper, having noticed the look she was giving Joyce, replied rather childishly, "We'll take the guest beds."

And despite Joyce's protests, they scrambled inside the room, and shut the door in his face. Joyce groaned, and made a silent promise that he would get them back for this. He sighed, and approached the door to the master bedroom, then knocked and said, "I'm coming in."

He got no response, so he entered, and looked around the room. It was a warmly lit room, as the light from the fireplace jumped and danced about the room. There was a very large bed in the center of the room, clearly made for a Dragon to sleep on comfortably. There was also a large rug off to the right side near the fireplace, and there was a small couch-like piece of furniture in front of the fireplace. It was largely flat, with low walls on one side, and was clearly made for a Dragon to lounge on. There were also a few book shelves on that side of the room, and were filled to the brim with books. To his left, the other side of the room, there was another door. It was closed, but light seeped out from underneath it, indicating this was likely where Luna had disappeared to. He quietly walked over to the couch, and laid his bag next to it, and took off his combat gear.

He looked at one of the book shelves, and approached it. He then pulled a book off the shelf, and opened it, but was rather disappointed to find it was in a different language.

"Don't worry, they're not all like that." Luna said, surprising him.

"What is this?" He asked curiously, and she smiled and replied, "Its an Ancient language, the name of which was lost to time. I'm one of the very few who still know how to read and write it. No-one can speak it anymore, unfortunately."

"Wow, how long have you been studying this unknown language?" He asked, genuinely impressed.

"I don't even remember when I started, but it must've been when I was around 15 or so." She replied, and Joyce then asked, "And how old are you now?"

"I'm 54, turning 55 next month." She replied, and while it still astonished Joyce, he had actually expected such an answer, as Dragons lived for a long time in almost all legends of them. However, she continued to speak, and said with a smile, "Lots of personal questions... my turn to ask a few."

He nodded, but knew he would likely have to lie about a few.

"First question, how old are you?"

"Well, I'm actually only 28, but I'm pretty sure you live a lot longer than we do. I'm an adult, and still considered young, but I'm starting to get up there in years. Especially working the job that I do.

She nodded, and asked, "How long do you typically live?"

He realized this was one He would have to lie on. However, his hesitation to lie to her caused her to visibly notice his reaction, and she gave him a look that changed his mind instantly.

"Well… normally, humans live to 75 or 80 years old…." He said, and she continued his sentence with, "But….?" And he sighed, and said, "But the lifestyle I live is a bit complicated. I'm fit, and always in shape, but with the stress I put my body through, I probably won't live past 60 or 65 years old. And that's if I don't die in Combat."

She seemed rather unaffected by the answer, for which Joyce was partly grateful. However, unknown to him, the only reason she appeared that way, was because she was too astonished to show it. However, she moved on.

"Ok, next question. Spyro said you already saved the city once, and numerous other lives several times… How did you do it?"

"Oh, wow, that's a bit of a long story.." He said, and she smiled, and looked around and said, "I don't see anything else to do around here…" However, he saw her gaze stop on the bed, and she glanced back at him. Wanting to avoid more of her flirtatious comments, he decided on story time.

"Well, we were sent on a mission to do some scouting for Ape forces, and we came across a large fortress built into a mountain. It was being held by apes. However, almost immediately after, we found the wolves. We followed them back to their camp, and they explained the situation they were in. We decided to help them out, and that night we assaulted the fortress. One thing led to another, we blew it up, I got trapped under rubble." He paused a minute, as he remembered the fear that gripped his throat when he realized he would be buried alive by the collapsing fortress. He continued, "They thought I was dead, and I don't blame them for leaving. They hauled ass back to the village, and attempted to hold out while Spyro and Cynder flew back to warn Warfang of the attack coming their way. I actually managed to escape the rubble, and trekked back to the Village myself, and helped out a little bit before I passed out. After that, we made our way to Warfang, and I'm sure you already heard about what happened during that hostage crap."

"Actually, they kept that mostly under-wraps. I don't know what happened, only those that were there saw it, and they were forced into silence."

He was surprised, and replied, "Oh, well, in that case, my team were the ones to storm that building and save them, but I, uh, kinda passed out during the raid."

"Why?" She asked curiously, to which he scratched his neck, a bit embarrassed to admit he had reached a limit, but then said, "Well, I uh, I had lost too much blood in recent days, hadn't slept hardly at all, and taken too many hits, and my body simply shut down."

She simply nodded, and to Joyce's astonishment, her good opinion of him not only didn't decrease, but if anything, it grew. She now had a glint of admiration in her eyes whenever she looked at him.

"Next question," she said, "Where and how did you get that scar?"

As she asked it, she gently ran the back of one of her claws across his face, next to the scar. Joyce shuddered slightly at the sensation, that being the most intimate thing he'd experienced in a long time. Luna now had a sad expression, and he decided to tell her the story.

"Well…" He paused, and was silent for several minutes as he thought of how to respond.

"Shrapnel." He said, "Several years ago, back when I was still a soldier in the Army. We were out on a mission to search and seize a weapon cache in Iraq, but the mission went sideways. We were ambushed by a Russian Spetsnaz team, who clearly wanted the cache for themselves. We were 16 men strong to begin with, and after the initial ambush, we were down 9 people. It took them less than three minutes to kill 7 of us... After that, we managed to hold them off for backup. A team of Navy SEALs were the only ones in the vicinity who were qualified to face the Spetsnaz, but they were almost too late. I was the only survivor." He paused a minute, and looked at the floor, the memories flooding through his eyes. He saw the Helicopter fly overhead… the distant explosions, as well as the close ones… the tracers flying through the air… He quickly snapped back, but not before Luna had seen more than enough to know what he was seeing.

"Anyways, I went down pretty fast, a grenade went off, and I got lucky enough to catch only two pieces of shrapnel. One across my eye…"

"Where'd the other one go?" She asked after he didn't tell, and he replied, "Well, it went into me."

He then lifted his shirt, having already taken off most of his gear, and she soon spotted the scar. It was on his lower abdomen, on his right side. It was small, and somewhat circular in shape.

"It went into my lung after nicking my stomach. I got real lucky it didn't cause any permanent damage. If it had, I wouldn't be where I am today." He said, and she looked up at him again, this time with a new look, one He couldn't explain, and wouldn't be able to for quite a while.

"Last question," she said, however she couldn't bring herself to ask the question she wanted, so she quickly came up with a different one, "Do you want the bed, or the couch? Because I'm taking the bed no matter what, but I can share."

As she said this, her flirtatious smile and lightly mannered mood returned, replacing the sad, quiet one. However, much to her disappointment, he replied, "I think I'll take the couch."

Not even her flirty and fun manner could lift his dark mood. She looked at him, a bit concerned. She didn't know what was bothering him, but she had an idea.

"So who was Fox… to you? He clearly meant more to you than you're admitting." She said, and while he said nothing, his reaction said it all, as he silently sat on the edge of the couch, and put his head in his hands. She sighed sadly, realizing she had hit her mark dead on.

"C'mon, say something. It's no good to keep things like this inside, and it doesn't matter what kind of warrior you are." She said, hoping to get a response. However, she soon got more than she had ever thought would come from him.

She began to see his shoulders and chest tremble in a sob, and heard his breathing quicken. He was crying. The battle-hardened warrior that she had just witnessed kill two apes with deadly precision, and not an ounce of remorse, was now sobbing on her couch.

And she was frozen. She had no idea what to do. Leave him alone? Or comfort him? And if she tried, how far would be too far?

However, he quickly brought his head up, and made a successful attempt to calm himself. And while his chest still trembled occasionally, he was now wiping the tears from his face, and wiping his nose. He cleared his throat, and said, unable to look her in the eye, "Sorry… about that. Its just… with his death… it all happened so fast.. and we've been so busy… I guess we- I mean, I never had time to mourn him." However, it looked as if the tears would come back, and he said quietly, fighting the urge to break down again, "We didn't even get to call his Family.. they'll never know. He was buried in an unmarked grave, in an unknown and foreign country, doing a classified and unknown duty to a country that likely disapproved of his actions."

She decided to take a shot in the dark once more, and asked, "Then why did he do it?"

He hesitated a moment, then replied, "Because he knew it was the right thing to do."

She didn't have to prove her point any further than that, seeing the understanding in his eyes, which still focused anywhere other than her.

"Hey, look at me." She said, and he complied. She almost lost it then and there. The second they made eye contact, she could see the pain, sadness, and agony in him. Instead of loosing it herself, she strengthened her resolve, and brought her head against his; her forehead against his, and she pushed lightly against his. She then whispered, "You don't have to mourn alone. Not anymore. Understand? From now on, you feel like crying, you talk to me. You feel like your emotions are bottling up, you talk to me. You need anything, and you talk to me." With emphasis on anything.

Joyce wasn't sure if he'd be able to do that, it wasn't a normal thing at all. But, he decided that he would make an effort to trust her.

However, then she yet again took a chance. She stepped even closer to him, and wrapped her wings around him. It was a bit awkward at first, and Joyce tensed up a bit in her embrace. However, after a moment, he relaxed, but not entirely.

'This is wrong' he thought, 'I'm a human, she's a Dragon. This isn't how things work…'

But then he thought about the way he felt when she held him like this; safe, warm… loved… and he had another thought, 'Screw how things work, nothing about us being here should have happened. We should have died in that explosion, but we didn't. I was given my life, and I'm going to do what I want with it.'

He smiled at his realization, and accepted her embrace even further. The next morning, after a fairly awkward awakening, where he found himself laying on the couch with her curled up around him, wings still wrapped around him. They both awakened rather simultaneously, and both got up rather quickly. It was a somewhat uncomfortable silence, but not nearly as much as the day before. He quickly got ready, and walked outside. Bull and Cooper were outside their room, waiting for him, and they smiled when they saw him, and teased him lightly with, "How'd ya sleep?"

He knew exactly what they meant, and he wasn't going to humor them. Downstairs, Luna had quickly prepared a breakfast for them, which consisted of mostly fruits. Now, they sat at a table, discussing the day ahead of them. However, they could all see the new manner in which Luna looked at him. It was still flirty, but a bit less, and now had a new look mixed into her features. It was a mixture of genuine care, and another, happier feeling that they couldn't identify. She herself, knew she had just met Joyce, but also that she knew far more about him than anyone else.

"So what's the plan for today, boss?" Bull asked, and before Joyce replied, he considered what Terrador had told him.

"Well, first off, I'd like to check up on the wolves, in how they're being introduced to the public, their housing, all that. After that, I think we'll observe the progress of the Colonels, and then we'll pay Frelin a visit, and explain more of his job to him and what's expected."

"What exactly are you expecting of him?" Luna asked, confused.

"I want to see if he's capable of leading." He replied simply, and Luna shot him a look that said, 'Continue,' and he sighed and explained, "Well, he's clearly very young, too young to be such a rank without being extremely qualified, so I'm going to see if he's capable of the next step. My end goal for him, I hope, will be leading the best of the best of the troops into combat."

"Why him though? We have a number of older, more qualified officers." She asked, still confused.

"Exactly, he's young, capable of combat. Let me ask you this; would you rather follow an officer who fights with you, or one that sits in the back and will likely run if the time comes?"

"Well, obviously the one who fights with me, but that isn't practical, especially if the officer is wounded or killed."

"That's why he will be leading the best of the best. They'll keep him safe, even on the front line."

Joyce finally saw understanding in her eyes, and she nodded, but then frowned and asked, "How will you determine the best of the best, though?"

"Well, I was hoping you could help me find a few, and we'll go from there." He replied, and she could clearly see he wasn't telling her something. However, she decided not to push him to disclose everything, knowing she would find out soon enough.

"Alright, let's get started." Joyce said, and stood. As they walked out the door, they were wearing the same thing they always were; full combat gear; Rifles, side-arms, Tac-Vests, and their packs. Joyce had planned on taking the truck only, thinking that taking the Humvee would be unnecessary. So, the three men clambered into the truck, while Luna decided to fly ahead and lead them.

However, the streets were much more crowded today, and they were slow to get through the crowd. Luna couldn't keep such a slow pace while flying, so she gracefully landed on the cab of the truck, and occasionally popped her head inside through the window to relay instructions. However, soon the crowds began to clear up, as they made their way to the outskirts of the city. The streets grew narrow, and the buildings towered over them, greatly restricting their view of the sky, so Luna remained on the truck. Soon, the city turned almost abandoned, many of the buildings run down, and a few collapsed.

After almost 10 minutes of driving, the condition of this part of town only worsening, Luna leaned inside and said, "We're almost there-" But she cut herself off, and Joyce turned to see her head cocked, listening intently. He waited patiently for her to identify what she heard, but then her eyes went wide, and she said, "Go! Now! I hear fighting, and a lot of it!"

Joyce did just that, and sped through the streets until they turned a corner and saw the fight. There were nearly a dozen of the wolves in the street, and another dozen more on the rooftops with bows. They were fighting with nearly two dozen apes in the street, and thankfully winning. Joyce knew he was going to regret having not brought the Humvee with them.

He mumbled a curse, and his team prepped for combat. They came up right behind the line of wolves, and slid to a stop. They unloaded quickly onto the stone street, and opened fire on the apes they could hit. The fight was over relatively quickly, and the wolves visibly relaxed afterwards, instantly recognizing their saviors. They were smiling, and a few greeted Joyce and his team, but Joyce was not smiling or happy, and asked, "Where's Timber at?"

One pointed to a building just up the street, and turned to see Timber running down the street, flanked by half a dozen more wolves, and all looked beaten, cut, and battered by fighting.

"About time you showed up!" She yelled, partially relieved and happy, but also accusing and angry.

"What the hell's going on down here?" He asked, and she gestured to the battle-ridden street around her, and replied, "What does it look like? We're being attacked. They got through the gate to the East, took out the city guards within a few minutes, but one managed to escape and warn us. We've been fighting them off for the last 12 hours or so, in damn near every street. We started at the gate, but now we're a quarter of a mile from the gate and being pushed back constantly. Every time we try to push back, they hit us before we can solidify our defenses, and we end up loosing ground."

"Why haven't you called for the city guard?" Luna asked, and she turned to her, a bit irritated, "Does it look like we have enough wolves to send one across this abandoned sector of city? It's an hour walk before we'd find anyone to help us, and that's if the damn apes didn't get them first. They're hiding everywhere. It's a perfect staging ground for them; a mostly abandoned sector of the city, full of dark corners and empty buildings to hide and prepare in, and that's what they'd be doing right now if it weren't for us!"

"We'll get this straightened out later, for now let's work on solving the problem. Luna, you fly back and get reinforcements down here ASAP, we'll hold them as long as we can."

She looked reluctant to leave, but nodded, and took to the sky, flying as fast as she could. Joyce turned back to Timber, and asked, "Ok, I need everything you know."

"Well, they've formed three main attack routes, and I've split my warriors among them, but I've got a few groups patrolling, looking for new routes and those sneaking through, but we haven't heard back from one of the patrols." She then gestured to a spot on the sidewalk nearby, and he saw a makeshift drawing in the dirt, and she approached it.

She gestured to three different streets, and said, "These are the three streets they keep pushing on, but we've got scouts near the gate to tell us if they use a different route." She then circled a series of streets and buildings with her paw and said, "This is where the scouting party we lost was supposed to be."

Joyce quickly thought up a plan, and explained, "Ok, Cooper, you take the right street, and Bull will take the left. Pull a few warriors off both sides, and use them to reinforce the middle. I'll leave you my radio, and if you start to get overrun, just press the button and ask for help, and one of them will come if they can."

"What about you? I presume you're going to go find the ones we lost," she said, and he nodded, and she continued, "But what if you get into trouble, you won't have a way to call for help."

He knew this was a very real possibility, but instead he replied, "I won't need help, I'll be fine."

She looked doubtful, but shook her head, knowing that even if it did happen, they wouldn't have anyone to spare to help him. Joyce then unclipped his helmet, and removed the earpiece radio before handing it to her.

"Please don't break that." Joyce said, as he didn't have another to replace it. She nodded, and held onto it tightly. Joyce sighed, and turned to his two team mates. Bull smiled and said, "If you die, I will hunt you down in the after life." But then Cooper said with an even bigger smile, "Nah, he ain't gona die, no way Luna will let him."

Joyce laughed lightly, and while he bumped fists with both of them, he said, "Shut it." And they both smiled.

Joyce took a step back, and waved to Timber, who looked a bit confused. He turned around, and began to jog off in the direction of the search area. However, he heard Timber call from behind him, "Hey, wait up for a second!"

He stopped and turned around as she approached. She spoke quietly, "Hey, I just want you to know something first. I had no idea River was going to do that back in the hospital, and I honestly have no plans like that." However, she added rather quickly after that, "Not that I don't like you, it's just not like that…"

"Yeah, no, you're good. I kinda figured that by the way you reacted when she said it." He said, and she smiled and said, "Ok, thank you for understanding. You're a good person, you deserve to find someone that's right for you."

Joyce nodded his thanks, and said, "Ok, I gota get going." And she nodded back, but she hesitated, indicating she had something else to say. After a moment, she told him, "Amarok was in that patrol." And with that, she ran back to her warriors. Joyce turned around, and approached a side street. As he raised his rifle, and entered the alleyway, a memory flashed before his eyes; a similar alley… the only difference being the dead bodies in one being human, the other being cheetahs and moles…

He realized he had stopped, and shook his head before entering the alley. There were two bodies, a mole and a cheetah, both dead and surrounded with a pool of blood, and obviously their own. He quietly poked them both for a reaction, but determined them dead, and moved on. He came to a street, and after clearing both ways, he began to look for signs of battle, or a group of wolves. He found neither, and kept moving along the buildings. He moved several blocks over the course of nearly eight minutes, and found no sign of them.

However, he did start to hear distant gunshots, signaling the next attack had begun. He did his best to tune out the sounds of battle, and kept searching. Suddenly, just barely audible over the gunshots, he heard sounds of struggle, and a voice. He couldn't make out what they voice was saying, but they were just around the corner. He came to the corner, and slowly peered out from behind it.

He saw nearly a dozen apes standing around two wolves, both tied up and bloody. Joyce was relieved to see Amarok was one of them, and he began to formulate a plan. Most of the apes were distracted with going through the new armor and weapons they had acquired from the four dead wolves, but four of them were busy interrogating their prisoners.

Joyce didn't have a full idea yet, but the interrogation was heating up, as the Apes began to realize they wouldn't get any information, so he had to act quick. He grabbed a rock, and chucked it as far as he could across the street, and it hit a window, shattering it. He peered around, and saw that all of them had turned their attention towards the window. Joyce noticed that Amarok wasn't focused on the window, but was looking around for the source. He had probably seen the rock fly, and quickly caught sight of Joyce, who waved to him. Amarok silently nudged the wolf next to him, and nodded in Joyce's direction. Now that he had their attention, he made a motion with his rifle and hand that he was going to shoot the apes, and that they would need to stand up and run to him. They nodded understanding, and brought their feet under them, but stayed sitting. Joyce took aim at the only four apes who stayed near their hostages, as the rest had gone to investigate the window.

He opened fire, the five shots rang out among the buildings, and all four dropped to the ground, and the two ran as fast as they could towards him. As they came close, he unsheathed his knife, and gave it to Amarok and said, "Cut your hands free, I'll keep you covered."

He struggled to hold the knife between his fingers for a moment, but soon got a grip, and began to cut loose the other wolf. Joyce used the corner as cover, and fired at the confused apes across the street. He downed two before they reacted, and found cover. Of the five remaining apes, only two had bows, and they began to fire arrows at him, but most of them hit the wall and bounced off.

He waited and watched for one behind a stone pillar to appear again, and shot him once he did, but the other ape fired an arrow at him almost simultaneously, and it scratched his forearm, causing Joyce to move behind the wall once more. Once behind it, he said quietly, "Ouch."

Amarok and the other wolf were now free, and turned to Joyce and asked, "Now what?"

"Give me a second." He said, then turned back to the street behind him. He spotted the ape with the bow, and quickly dispatched him before taking cover again.

"We ready?" Amarok asked, and Joyce shook his head and said, "Not quite."

He waited several minutes, then peered back around, and smiled. His plan worked, and the surviving three apes had left cover to pursue him. He fired three shots, and they all fell to the ground. He then turned back, and nodded to Amarok, and said, "First off, do you know if there are more of them?"

"Depends…" he said slowly, "How many have you killed?"

"I've got 9 so far." He replied, and Amarok quickly said, "Yeah, there are definitely more. We were attacked by nearly 30 of them."

"Shit, ok, hopefully they haven't ambushed the others.." He turned to the unknown wolf, and asked, "What's your name?"

He stuttered for a moment, then said, "My name is Zan."

"Ok, Zan, I need you to run back to Timber and the main force, and warn them that there may be a large group that got through. Can you do that?"

The young wolf nodded quickly, and ran off to do what he was told. Joyce then turned back to Amarok, and said, "You and I are going to try and find them. Grab a sword off one of the dead ones, and let's get looking."

"Ok, I think I saw where most of them ran off to the first time, but I definitely know which direction they went."

"Good." Joyce replied, and waited for him to grab a sword, then gestured for him to lead the way. Joyce followed him down a few streets, all abandoned, but he soon heard voices. He gave Amarok a quick thumbs up and a smile, but was then serious, and began to search for the source of the voices. He quickly pinpointed their location with the help of Amarok's enhanced hearing. They were inside an old, abandoned shop building, with large display windows out front, a counter in the back, and a large open area in the center, where Joyce spotted the large group of apes. They were waiting for an order, Joyce realized, as most of them were lounging, napping, sharpening swords, or fiddling with equipment. He noticed three of them at the counter arguing.

"We can't wait much longer, how damn long does it take to interrogate a prisoner, anyways?" one said.

Joyce tried and failed to formulate a plan for taking out all 24 of them, and instead sighed, and pulled one of the frag grenades off his belt. He whispered to Amarok, "Alright, so I'm going to throw this, and its going to explode. Stay in cover, and I recommend you cover your ears."

Amarok nodded, and followed his advice. Joyce then appeared in the doorway and called, "Hey, catch!" and tossed it into the center of the room. He quickly ducked back behind the doorframe, and waited. He heard a commotion from inside, but it was followed by a loud explosion, and the windows next to him blew outwards in a shower of glass. There was the sound of debris falling, and then it was almost completely silent. Joyce moved inside, rifle at the ready just in case.

However, he lowered it when he saw the pure devastation that the explosion had inflicted on the apes. They were torn to shreds by the shrapnel, and a few were crushed by the ceiling when it collapsed in on them. Dust filled the air, and Joyce had a hard time breathing, but proceeded. Amarok appeared in the doorway, and was stunned by the devastation.

"Wow…" he said, and Joyce turned to him, prepared to say something, but Amarok yelled, "Look out!"

Joyce barely avoided being impaled on a spear, as it instead grazed his side. He quickly spun around and fired twice at the ape. He quickly looked around for anymore, and while he couldn't see any, it was not clear. One of the downed apes at his feet had regained consciousness, and now held his knife. He brought it down in Joyce's thigh, and he cried out in pain before he fired once and ended the ape's life. The Ape was covered in blood from the shrapnel cutting into his body, and a majority of the blood was wiped and smeared onto Joyce. He pulled the knife out, and proceeded to clear the room. He found no more survivors, and left the room. Once onto the street, Joyce leaned against a wall, and Amarok approached and asked, "You going to be ok? That looks pretty deep."

"I'll be good, more of a flesh wound." Ha replied, then pulled the first aid kit from his bag. He grabbed a packet of quick-clotting power, and tore it open and applied it. He groaned quietly as the powder made contact with the wound. He then held a bandage against it, and wrapped some gauze around it.

"Alright, good to go." Joyce said through gritted teeth as he stood up. Amarok knew he wasn't 'good to go' but said nothing.

"Lets get back to Timber, see if we've got reinforcements yet." Joyce said, and Amarok nodded and began to follow him. As he did, he noticed that Joyce didn't even run with a limp, despite the wound in his right leg. He also noticed a bit of blood seeping through on his side where the spear had caught him.

They soon arrived back where Joyce had first found Timber, and while they could hear gunshots coming from both directions, there were no attackers here. He found Timber, who looked relieved when she saw him. She ran over and asked, "What the hell happened?! I heard an explosion, and then I see you walking back all covered in blood!"

"Relax, I'm fine, most of it isn't mine." He replied, then asked, "Hey, can I get my radio back?"

"Yeah, sure." She said with a nod, and pulled it out of her pocket, and then handed it to him. Joyce put it on, and asked over the radio, "Ok, sit-rep, what's going on out there?"

Cooper came on the radio first, a predetermined order of communication, and said, "We're holding steadfast over here."

But then Bull came over the radio, a little bit of worry rising in his voice, "We're starting to loose ground! They're coming from everywhere, and we're loosing control."

"Alright, you've got back up on the way." Joyce replied, then turned to Amarok and said, "Grab a few warriors and head to them. I'll help Timber hold here, and Luna should return soon with backup."

Amarok nodded, then went and grabbed eight fighters and ran off in Bull's direction. Joyce then turned back to Timber and said, "So how many fighters do we have left?"

"Here? Probably 12 are ready to fight, but I've got 16 injured, and a few of them critically, and sounds like just as many in the other two locations."

Joyce nodded, and said, "We'll be fine, only have to hold them for a bit longer."

But he really was thinking, 'Luna, you need to hurry up.'

Luna was yelling at the poorly organized troops before her, "Come on! Let's go! Your General is out there fighting and Wolves are dying to save your city! Let's get moving, now!"

She had already organized one of the barracks, and now had this one up and going, bringing her troop count to nearly 150 armed moles, cheetahs, and two small dragons, not much older or larger than she was. She heard wing beats behind her, and turned around to see Spyro and Cynder flying towards her. When they arrived, Spyro asked, "What's going on? Another attack?"

"Yes, a big one in the Abandoned District." She replied, "Joyce and his team are down there now, the Wolves have been fighting them since late last night, and they're loosing."

"That bad? They haven't made a push like this since the beginning attacks… where'd they get the resources to do this?"

"I don't know, and it's not important right now!" She yelled at him, clearly worried, "We have to get down there, and fast! I don't know how long they can hold, or how big the force they oppose is."

"Ok, I'll stay here and organize more troops to send after you, just take these ones you have and go help. There will be more coming, soon." Spyro told her.

"I'll to with you." Cynder said to Luna, who nodded gratefully. Spyro, however, gave her a concerned look and said, "Ok, but he careful."

She said nothing, and nodded. Luna then called to the ones she had organized, "Alright, we're headed out. Follow me, and keep your eyes open!"

Joyce finished wiring the explosive he had set into the street, and took a few steps back. He had found three small, and rather old, anti-personal mines in the truck, and had decided this was a good time to use them. He had them set up in a line down the street, hidden in trash piles and garbage, at intervals of about 20 feet. He rejoined the remaining wolves, most of whom held bows, but four of them, including Timber, held swords. The archers were up on nearby buildings, and relatively out of harm's way, but Joyce was down on the barricade with the others.

"Hey, Joyce?" He heard Bull ask over radio, and Joyce answered with, "Yeah?"

"A vast majority of the apes over here disappeared… I think they're headed for you."

"Same here, a bunch of them are gone." Cooper added.

"Shit, ok got it." Joyce said, then yelled out for the others to hear, "Ok, we've got a bunch of them coming our way, get ready!"

No sooner than he said that, there was a large cry from down the street, and dozens of apes poured into the street from buildings or other streets.

"Don't fire yet!" He yelled to the archers, who were confused. He pulled the detonator from his vest, and armed the explosives, but waited to detonate them. He let the apes keep charging. The first ape passed the first mine. Then he passed the second. He was coming up on the third. The mass of charging apes was mostly inside the blast radius, and he detonated the mines.

Unlike the grenade, these went off with more of a thud than an explosion, but the effects were just as devastating. He watched some of the apes get literally blown to pieces, while the rest were thrown to the ground with cries of pain. Joyce stood from behind cover, and said quietly, "Just as horrifying and painful as a sword, but five times as efficient."

However, the smoke began to clear, and an arrow flew through it, planting itself inside a wooden table to the right of him.

"Shit! Get down!" He yelled, and peered over the table, and realized that the furthest explosive hadn't detonated, leaving still almost three dozen apes alive. However, he was prepared for a fight, and raised his rifle and popped off a few shots.

Luna had heard the explosion, and was both horribly worried, and grateful. Worried because that was the second explosion she had heard, and grateful not only because it meant that they were still alive, but also because it didn't sound all that distant. They were close. Within another ten minutes of walking, she heard Cynder yell from above her, "I see them!"

Luna leaped into the air, ignoring her sore wings, and looked to where Cynder was pointing. From what she could see, they might not have needed this many troops. There were no more live apes in the street, but there were many corpses. She saw wolves picking through them to ensure they were really dead, and a few others were working to clear the bodies, but she didn't see Joyce.

She landed, and while she was looking for Timber, and spotted Joyce, and gasped. She found him next to a building, laying on a stack of old bags filled with flour. And he was covered in blood, and his eyes closed. From this distance, she couldn't see his chest moving at all. She rushed over, and practically jumped on him, thinking the worst.

However, the second She hit him, he jolted awake and tried to throw her off. He looked around wildly, expecting an attack, but saw only her relieved gaze. He sighed in relief himself, and said, "Holy shit, you scared the piss out of me. About time you showed up."

She laughed, and said, "Well it looks like you didn't really need us."

"Oh, trust me, we could have used you guys about ten minutes ago." He replied, then stood up and grabbed his rifle. However, as he leaned over to grab it, he grimaced in pain, and groaned a little.

"You going to be ok?" she asked, the worry returning to her voice. He nodded and gestured to his bloody uniform and said, "Don't worry, most of it isn't mine."

"Most?" she asked, "Then how much of it is?"

Joyce shook his head and said, "Doesn't matter. Let's get this cleaned up. How many did you bring with you?"

"About 150, and Cynder. Spyro will follow with more later." She replied, and almost on cue, Cynder landed behind her, and smiled at Joyce, who gave her a nod in response.

"You look like hell." She said, and Joyce laughed and asked, "Where's the sympathy you had for me earlier?"

He didn't notice Luna flinch when he said it, but he did see Cynder smile, and look at Luna quickly before she replied, "Well, it's not my job anymore."

Joyce squinted for a second, confused. However, he didn't get the chance to clarify it, as the rest of the troops came up, in need of orders. He turned to them, and, after dismissing their shocked reactions when they saw him, began to issue orders, "Ok, here's the plan…"

It took the entire rest of the day, but they finally got a handle on the situation. Once they pushed the main force out, they fortified the gate and started sweeping for survivors. It was dirty, slow, and ravenous fighting, as the small groups of apes had fortified the buildings they had taken, while others hid. They had to check every building, and even with almost 500 soldiers, it took a lot of hours, but Joyce was right there with them, clearing houses with his team and helping to break the few fortified positions.

Initially, he thought this attack had completely ruined his plans for the day, but he soon realized he had accomplished two of his three objectives. He also made sure that none of the wolves were Forced to help them clear the area, and instead were shown a new, more secure complex of buildings, and plenty of food and water. In fact, their new homes were not more than a five minute walk from the HQ. The injured wolves were given immediate medical attention, and Joyce was relieved and proud to hear that not one wolf died during the attack. Not even the members of Amarok's squad that got ambushed. They were found scattered across the sector in the hands of miscellaneous groups of apes.

Now, Joyce was in the truck with his team, driving back to HQ. It was almost 9pm, and the moon had started to rise. And while he couldn't see her, he knew Luna was sitting on the cab of the truck. He noticed that even at this late hour, there was still a crowd of civilians on the street, and as the truck approached them, they parted and made a path. He tapped on the roof to get Luna's attention, and she put her head next to the open window.

"Hey, what are they doing? Why are they still out here?" He asked her, and she replied with a smile, "Probably just heard about the fighting and are making sure we didn't loose, they'll probably disperse soon."

She was silent for a moment, then added, "Phew, you guys smell really bad."

He gave her a glare and said, "Really? I wonder why that is… and it's not like we can fix it-"

"What are you talking about?" she said with a laugh, "We have to bathe and clean up, too. A few of the newer houses even have a plumbing system for you to take a rain bath."

"You mean a shower?" He asked, and she crinkled her nose for a second and said, "If that's what you call it, sure, but here it's a rain bath."

Joyce hadn't even considered the possibility, and actually felt a bit stupid for not. A plumbing system wasn't that complex at all, and didn't even require technological advancements to achieve. All you need is a general understanding of physics, and a few moving parts.

She seemed to notice his thoughtful look, and asked, "You do have this technology where you come from, right?"

"Oh, yeah of course, I just… I don't know, I just never really thought about it here." He replied, and she disappeared again. They came out on the other side of the small crowd, and continued on their way. Once at the HQ, they quickly unloaded, and moved into the house at a slow pace, their bodies sore from the day of combat. They were all getting a bit out of shape, Joyce realized.

Luna came inside last, and closed the door. The moment it was closed, she asked, "Ok, so who's taking the first bath?"

"Hell yeah, I'm going." Cooper said, and followed Luna up the stairs. Within a few minutes, she returned, and found Joyce and Bull had out a few MRE's and were about finished with them. She scolded them, and said, "Next time you're hungry, tell me! You don't need to eat that crap anymore. I'm not a great cook, but I picked up on a few things from my mother."

Joyce was going to ask a question, but she continued before he could speak, she said to Bull, "There will be plenty of fresh water waiting for you after he's done."

Bull nodded, and Joyce was going to ask, 'What about me?' but by now, he knew better than to ask, and she clearly had a plan for him. All he could do was wait and hope it wasn't too bad. He finished his meal, and said, "Alright, well, I'm going to head up and wait for my turn."

"Ok." Was all Bull said, still enveloped in his meal. However, Luna's reaction was very different. She gave him a smile that made him nervous, and replied, "Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long."

He simply nodded, and hurried up the stairs. Once inside the room he had slept last night, he looked down at his cloths. He sighed, realizing he had ruined his last good uniform, and stripped down, but kept his pants on. He rummaged around his belongings, but didn't find what he was looking for, and looked around the room. He spotted exactly what he was looking for; the previous uniform he had. Last time he had it on, it was just as ruined as his current, but at least it wasn't covered in blood.

However, now it was a different story. It was folded and placed on the edge of Luna's bed. They were clean, but best of all; fixed. Someone had sewn and patched the rips, cuts, and holes, and while it didn't quite look 'good as new' it was certainly much better than it was before.

"I had someone get it all fixed up for you." He heard Luna say. He jumped a little at the sound of her voice, having not heard her come in, but relaxed when he recognized her voice. He turned to look at her, and her eyes quickly met his for a fleeting moment before she broke the contact and looked at his damaged body. Her eyes landed on his scar for just a moment before they moved on.

"Thanks." He said simply, and walked over to his couch. He slowly sat down with a groan of pain; his leg was on fire at this point. He knew he had to take the pants off, and he also knew he couldn't do it with Luna in the room… or by himself.

"Shit…" he mumbled. She seemed to hear him, and asked from the other side of the room, "Something wrong?"

He didn't reply, and was considering figuring out how to do this by himself, and didn't hear her walk over. She followed his gaze, and saw the bloody bandage on his leg, and asked, "What happened to your leg? Did you have Cooper take a look at it?"

"Nah, just a knife, barely got me." He replied stubbornly, and she glared at him and asked, "Then what's the problem?"

"Ah, just a bit sore, can't move it very well. I'll be fine." He said, and she smiled and replied, "Ok, then take your pants off."

He gave her a look, and said, "Why?"

And she replied quickly, "Because it's time for your…" and she struggled for a second to think of the word, but then said, "Shower."

Joyce glared at her for a second, then said, "I'll do it in the shower, thank you."

She shrugged and said, "As you wish."

He stood, and she led him to the doorway he knew she was in last night, and she opened the door and walked in. Joyce was partially stunned by the large and ornate bathroom. It was easily the size of the bedroom, and the floor was replaced by shining, white stone tiles. The walls were made of a similar material, but painted brilliant shades of red, blue, green and gold. In the center of the room was a large bulge, and in the center of that bulge, it dropped to form central bathing area with walls easily four feet high. Joyce noticed that there was a large box-like structure that was clearly intended to keep the ugly shower contraption hidden from view, and there were hundreds of small holes in the bottom.

Joyce realized that was why it was called a Rain Bath; it wasn't a nozzle that the water came out of, it fell evenly across the entire area.

"Wow.." He said, still looking around. She looked back at him, and asked, "You like it? Yeah, this is one of those newer houses I told you about."

"No kidding." He replied, still studying the colorful walls. She walked up, and gestured to two small levers on one side, and said, "There's hot water heated by a fire, and room temperature water, balance the two for a good temperature."

Joyce nodded, and noticed she had a doubtful look, and he realized he she still doubted he could get his cloths off. He gave her a look, and she immediately said, "Alright, alright, I'm leaving."

He watched her go, and the once she was gone, he went to work trying to remove his pants. His vest and shirt had been removed outside, but his pants were another deal entirely. Not only was the hole in his leg much more severe than he thought, but the dried blood was also making it more difficult to pull the pants off. Plus, the cut in his side made it hard to bend over. He tried and failed for a few minutes, then sighed.

He didn't want to admit it, but he had failed at removing his own pants. He felt like a child, needing to call for help. But then something else occurred to him; he didn't feel quite so embarrassed knowing it was Luna who would help him.

"Hey, Luna?" He called, and she opened the door again, a smile on her face, and she asked, "Yes?"

He laughed, and asked her, "Could you help me remove my pants?"

She laughed, and walked over to him, and said, "Sit down and lift your legs."

He did What she said, and once his legs were up, she grabbed the base of one pant leg with her teeth, and slowly pulled them off. Once they were off, she looked at the bloody bandage around his leg, and her smile turned to concern.

"Are you sure you'll be able to-" She started, but he cut her off and said, "I'm fine!"

She glared at him, and said, "Stop being so stubborn and actually consider it! I know that contrary to popular belief, I'm not trying to be flirty right now, I'm actually concerned for you right now!"

He sighed and said, "Ok, well… I appreciate the concern, but I am fine, I can do this by myself."

"Ok, fine. But after you're done, I'm looking at your leg." She said, then walked away and out the door. Once she was gone, he realized he actually hadn't truly wanted her to leave… but it was too late now, and he sighed sadly, then turned to the shower. His spirits lifted as he realized he would finally be able to take a shower. He quickly slipped his underwear off, and turned the water on. He didn't care if it was hot or cold right now, he just wanted to feel clean again, even if it was only partially.

"Damn, that's a dark thought…" he whispered to himself, and indeed it was.

He was never truly clean, not living the lifestyle that he did. He had done a lot of bad things in the name of peace and freedom, and there were times like this when he had to stop and truly think about all the things he had done. He shot an ape in the back today. Didn't even have a sword. It was running away, and Joyce knew it would come back, armed and with friends, but it still felt wrong to shoot it in the back like that. For all he knew, that was just some scared, young, stupid ape who got involved, or even forced to fight. He hit that cheetah when he tried to kill the ape in the house across the street. He was pretty sure he missed once today, and hit a cheetah in the leg.

Just days before he came here… they were setting up for the ambush, and he shot a child. Granted, the kid held an IED that blew the second he hit the ground, but it was an 8 year old child all the same. All these things had a nasty habit of bottling up inside him, but today was a bit different. He had a new start, a new opportunity, and he knew it. So, he let all these problems flow out of him, and like the blood that washed down the drain, all these mistakes, worries, and fears washed down with it. There were new rules he had to learn, new customs, new problems to face, and new things to accept… including Luna. He couldn't deny the fact that when he saw her, his heart fluttered and his mind focused on her even when he was doing other things. He knew what was happening; he'd have to be blind, stupid, and ignorant not to see it. But the real problem were the others. Would she accept it? Would his team still follow him? And what about everyone else? Her parents, she's spoken about them, would they have to approve? And what about other Customs? Was interspecies stuff banned throughout the city?

Of those questions, he knew his team would follow him anywhere, no matter what. He could be turned into a dragon, and they would still follow him, he knew and trusted that statement with everything he was. Once a SEAL, always a SEAL.

As for everything else…. Well, the problems and concerns of the old world may have flowed out of him, but the new ones filled that space almost as soon as it was empty. In essence, he had about 30 seconds of true peace. But that was more than enough for him, because when he thought about it all working out, everyone accepting it, and seeing himself living with Luna the rest of his life, gave him a feeling not of peace, but a warm, happy, and blissful feeling. It was the hope of finding something like this that had kept him going all these years, and his patience had finally paid off.

He stepped out of that shower a new man, and a clean one at that. He knew he would make new mistakes, and had already made numerous, but for now, he was content to say to the world and all his problems two words; "Shove it."

He quickly dressed, and exited the bathroom. As he walked out, he found Luna laying on her bed, already asleep. He laughed quietly, and walked over to his gear. He knew his rifle needed a good cleaning; he had used it extensively today. However, a yawn convinced him that it could wait until tomorrow.

He simply stretched out on his couch, though not before he looked longingly at the bed Luna slept in. He sighed, and closed his eyes, the warmth of the fire that burned less than 10 feet away prevented the need for any blanket or covers, as the fire never seemed to stop burning. It was either that, or she just used some sort of unique wood that burned for hours apon hours. Despite his happy, slightly excited mood, the exhaustion of the day soon took over, and he was asleep in a matter of minutes.

His sleep was interrupted by a dream; something he hadn't had in quite a while. However, it wasn't a good one. It started off peaceful enough, he was flying through the air, but when he tried to look around, he found that he could not. He was stuck looking forward. He was flying over a forest, toward a small, lone mountain that seemed to be his destination. It was a long ways off, still, and could only barely be seen from where he was. However, he soon realized it wasn't himself he was looking through, when his gaze was forced to turn and look backwards. He saw massive, dark purple wings that kept the Dragon afloat, but he then noticed what he was supposed to see; the city of Warfang. It was also very distant, and he could barely see the towering walls and the glitter of windows in the morning sunlight.

The sun. The Dragon was flying East, towards the rising sun. The Dragon suddenly turned forward again, and time suddenly seemed to fast forward. He landed in front of a massive cave. It was easily 100 feet high and at least 200 wide. The Dragon lumbered slowly inside, into the darkness, but before his eyes could adjust to the darkness completely, he could feel he was loosing picture; waking up. Just before it all faded, he heard an unholy screech…. And a gunshot.

He awoke with a start, but remained motionless.

'What the actual fuck made that sound?' He thought. It was the sound of a thousand knives being scratched across a chalk board, and the sound of flesh tearing. He shivered even now, just thinking about it. He didn't even want to begin to imagine what kind of creature made that sound. And what about the gunshot? He attempted to push the thoughts from his mind, as the smell of cooked food came to his nose.

He sat up, and looked around, and saw that Luna had already gotten up. Sunshine flowed in through the open window, and a light breeze came through. It was a beautiful day. He got up, and walked downstairs.

As he came down, he found Luna, Bull, and Cooper sitting at a large table. They turned and looked at him, confused, and Cooper asked, "Why are you wearing your gear? And why do you have your rifle?"

He looked down, and hadn't even realized he had his combat gear. He was that shaken by the sound he had heard. They seemed to see it in his features, and stood up, ready to go into action.

"No, no, we're good for now, I think. J-…. Just a dream, got me all shaken up." He said, but obviously didn't convince them. It's kind of hard to convince others of something you yourself don't believe.

"I've never seen you so shaken by a dream, are you sure that's all it was?" Cooper asked, and Joyce replied in an irrigated manner, "What the fuck else could it have been? I've been upstairs the whole damn time! Unless you guys heard it, too!"

He realized he was shouting and had tightened his grip on his rifle. They noticed this as well, and Bull had taken a step back. Joyce felt a bit ashamed, and sighed before he put his rifle on the ground, and sat down against the wall.

"Am I going insane?" He mumbled, just barely loud enough for them to hear. They could clearly see that this was serious. Something was wrong with him, or that wasn't just a dream. They shared a look, and Cooper whispered, "Get Spyro and Cynder over here," and Luna nodded before she ran out of the room to do what he said.

"Not a chance." Cooper said, and approached him. He crouched down in front of him, and offered his hand to him. Joyce reluctantly took it, and he pulled him to his feet.

"I've known you for years. The shit we have been through- that you have been through, alone and without a team, was more than enough to make you crazy. This? Nah, this isn't anywhere near what it would take for you to go insane. We're going to eat while we wait for Luna to come back, and then you're going to tell us exactly what happened in that dream. Ok?"

Joyce nodded, but failed repeatedly to compose himself, and could only walk to the table. Luna reached the place Spyro and Cynder lived within a matter of minutes, and quickly walked in the door to find them just sitting down to eat as well.

"Luna? Is something wrong?" Spyro asked, but then both of them noticed the look on her face, and knew something was definitely wrong. She didn't have to say a word, and they followed her back to the HQ. Once there, they stopped her at the door and asked, "Wait, what's wrong?"

"It's Joyce… he said he had a dream… but the way he looked, he was terrified of what he had seen or heard in that dream. I don't think it was just a dream, something is wrong. I'm hoping that with your vast adventures outside the city, you'll be able to help identify something should he be able to describe what he saw."

They both nodded, and entered the house. They found Joyce at the table, and he had just finished a large canteen of water. Luna was glad to see he had recovered a bit, and while he still looked terrified, it was no longer senseless. He now appeared to be deep in thought. Spyro and Cynder could see this as well, and Cynder had a concerned look.

A few minutes later, they had a semi-circle around Joyce, who was sitting on his 'bed' in the room. The others were sat, or stood, around him.

"So, can you describe the dream?" Spyro asked, and Joyce nodded, and while he still seemed deep in thought, his concentration was divided now between thinking and explaining.

"Well, first off, I appeared to have been following the view of a large, purple Dragon-"

"Wait, what? Big, dark purple?" Luna asked, and Joyce nodded, but his full attention was now on the conversation.

"Oh no…" Spyro mumbled, stunned. Cynder looked flat out horrified, and Luna in disbelief.

"Who knows, it may be a coincidence." She said, but just like with Joyce, it's hard to convince others of something you don't believe yourself.

"Why? Who is this dark purple dragon?" Bull asked, confused.

"Well, it's a long story, but in short, he tried to destroy the world. Cynder and I stopped him a few years ago, and we thought we had him trapped forever… and he likely is, but… it's possible he's escaped."

"Either way, it's obvious the Dragon isn't what's got you, right?" Luna asked, and Joyce nodded and continued his story, "It flew east, probably 50 maybe 60 miles east, towards a mountain. It was a single peak. I entered a massive cave… it was dark and I couldn't see anything… but I heard… something. It was a horrible screech, unnatural…"

They were silent for several minutes before Cynder asked, "Can you describe the screech at all? Was it high pitched, low, how long it was, anything like that?"

He thought for a second, and said, "I.. I can't describe what it sounded like, but yeah, it was long, and loud. Just like anything terrifying would be-" however, then a similarity came to mind. He had no idea where or why this comparison came to mind, and they saw his confusion and asked, "What?"

"Spider. I can't explain why, but it sounded like a spider." He said, and saw Luna tense as he said it.

"Uhm, Spiders don't made loud screeches…" Cooper said, and Joyce gave him an irritated look and said, "I know, and I can't explain why I think it was… but even then, spider doesn't quite match it."

"S… sp… spiders? D-did you say… spiders?" Luna asked quietly, and when he turned to her, and saw How terrified she was, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He nodded, but she said nothing. He was going to say something, try to comfort her, but Spyro spoke before he could even think of what to do, "Well, I do know what mountain you saw," Spyro said, "It was an old ape strong-point. It took days to crack that place after the war was over."

"What was there?" Joyce asked, and his look said the same thing his words did, "Bad things. Experiments, mostly with the evil energy of the dark crystals. We didn't really look into their progress much, but we destroyed everything we found."

"How many escaped?" He asked, and Spyro replied casually, "Well, obviously a few did, but not many."

"Shit… ok, we've got to go check it out. Even if it is nothing," he said, and looked to Luna for the next part, "And it probably is, but we've got to make sure."

He hesitated a moment, as another part of the dream came back to him, and he then said, "There was something else I heard. Just after the screech… there was a Gunshot."

It was silent, as everyone had their own interpretation of what caused it. He turned to Cooper and Bull, who were always ready to go, and said, "Get your gear. Stealth gear, suppressors, NVG's, extra batteries, flashlights, and IR Strobes. Bring a few grenades, as well, and we'll take the Humvee this time."

They were going in heavily armed, Luna realized. She then realized that it was probably not nothing, but she wasn't one to back down from a fight. Though she wasn't so sure how well she would hold up if they had to fight giant spiders…

Joyce saw her uncertainty, and looked around. Everyone else had left to go get ready. He approached her, and lightly touched her neck to get her attention. She looked up at him, and was immensely reassured by his again confident and cool manner.

"You going to be Ok?" He asked, and she sighed, and looked towards the ground and said, "I don't know…"

He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head to look at his. He smiled and said, "Wrong answer. The correct answer is: Yes, you're going to be fine. I don't care if it's spiders or Malefor himself we find in that cave, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She was stunned by his level of care and honesty; she had never seen it in him before. She was speechless as she looked into his eyes. She realized she had never noticed his eyes before… they were a shade of green she had never seen before. She instantly became lost in his eyes again.

Joyce seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, and said, "Hey, we should get going, dreamy Dragoness."

His statement brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed and said, "Sorry, I normally don't do that.."

Joyce laughed and said, "It's fine. Are you ready to go? We'll be leaving soon."

"Aren't we bringing backup?" She asked, and turned to look at him again.

"No, we can't afford to wait for them to get organized, and we'll be slower if we have to wait for them to walk. It's only going to be five of us; You, Bull, Cooper, Amarok, and me."

"What about us?" Spyro asked, and Joyce turned to them and considered for a moment, but then made up his mind.

"No, I need you and Cynder to stay here and start to organize an attack force, should we need one to take that place. You'll follow as soon as you're ready."

Spyro clearly disagreed, but nodded confirmation. Bull and Cooper came back into the room, armed to the teeth, and Joyce looked at them, asking a silent question. They nodded, and he said, "Alright, let's get going. We'll pick Amarok up on the way."

They nodded, and exited the building. They jumped into the Humvee after grabbing a few extra cases of .556 rounds from the storage truck and some empty magazines. Bull was on the turret, Joyce was driving, and Cooper was in the back seat behind Joyce. Luna flew above them for the time being, but he knew eventually she would land on the top and ride with them to rest.

It was already getting busy outside on the street, so Luna flew ahead, clearing the path for them. They made good time, and soon came to the housing complex that the wolves were given. As he pulled up front, he honked the horn a few times.

Timber and Amarok walked out, closely followed by several others. Joyce stepped out, and called to Amarok, "Get your gear, we're headed out. I'll explain on the way."

Amarok nodded, but Timber added, "I'm coming, too."

However, Joyce said, "No, sorry Timber, not this one. It may be nothing, or we could get into serious trouble, and either way, you're needed more here. If it turns out to be nothing, you'll have wasted a day in repairing and assisting your people. If we get into trouble, I need to know that there's still someone here who can gather her warriors and back us up regardless of the odds."

She sighed, and said reluctantly, but also smiled proudly, "Well, I guess you're right."

He knew he was. He had seen the way a majority of the surviving wolf population looked at him, and he knew damn well why they did, but it wasn't just him. His entire team, as well as himself, had put their lives on the line for their tribe numerous times, and it very nearly cost them their lives on several occasions. They had seen that Joyce and his team were more than willing to give their lives for them, and in turn, were equally prepared to do the same for him and his team.

He knew he wouldn't be able to ask them that, but it was nice to know that someone in this whole damn world could back them up. Joyce smiled at that thought. It really did feel nice to have a group of people ready to do that for them.

Within a few minutes, Amarok returned with light leather armor and his sword. Joyce nodded, and they got back into the Humvee, Amarok got into the passenger seat, and they drove off.

"So what's the deal? Why are you guys so heavily armed?" He asked, looking at them confused. It was true, however, as they all carried more ammunition now than before. Cooper had heard the word spider, so he had an extra gun strapped to his backpack: a Remington 12ga shotgun. He had sacrificed a spot on his vest that could have held an extra four mags for his rifle, and instead had shotgun shells strapped across the top part of his vest. There were 18 shells on his vest, 12 standard buckshot shells, and six slugs. He knew there was probably another box of buckshot in his bag. However, he still held his M4A1 rifle to be used first. The shotgun was for when things got messy.

Joyce himself had used the extra space for those extra mags, plus four frag grenades hung around his belt, as had Bull.

"Well… when I slept last night, I saw… no, heard something." He replied, and noticed Amarok's skeptical look, and added, "No, I'm not going insane, but according to Spyro, the place I heard it at is real, and it was an old research base where they did, and I quote, 'Bad things' using the dark crystals. So, we're going to go investigate. It's probably nothing, but we're going in prepared for a big one."

"Any ideas as to what we'll find or what you heard?" He asked, and Joyce looked at him hesitantly, then said, "Spiders. Don't ask me why I think that… just that the thing I heard… it sounded like a spider."

He looked confused at first, but then something clicked, and he looked terrified.

"What? Don't tell me you're terrified of spiders, too, are you?"

"No, no.." He said, shaking his head, "It's just… legends my mother told me when I was a pup… probably nothing."

"Dude, nothing about this is normal, just tell us what the legend is." Cooper said, and Amarok sighed and said, "Alright, fine. But I'm pretty sure all it's going to do is put ideas in your heads."

"Ok, well hold on a second." He said, then turned around and tugged on Bull's pant leg. He poked his head down and asked, "What's the problem?"

"Amarok might be able to shed some light on our situation. Tell Luna to come down here as well."

Bull said nothing, but disappeared back up into the turret, and he heard him yell something inaudible. He then jumped out of the turret seat, and into the back seat behind Amarok. Within a few seconds, there was a light thud on the roof, but thanks to the reinforced metal roof, it didn't dent. She then poked her head in through the turret hole, and asked, "What's going on?"

"Story time with Amarok." Bull said with a smile, and Joyce explained, "Amarok apparently was told a legend about… something he feels is related to this somehow."

"Well, it might. I have no idea." He corrected, but Luna just nodded and said, "Well, let's hear it."

"Ok, well, the Legend goes back to long before I was born, many, many generations. It was about when we first came to our home, the cave system. The legend goes, that it was not empty, but occupied by monsters of such horror and ferocity. While the legend never says the word Spider, but the description is similar; massive, eight legs easily 20 feet long each, and jaws capable of swallowing an entire wolf whole, and pincers made to tear them apart. Hard, almost un-penetrable outer shells. Only the strongest of warriors armed with the sharpest of swords could penetrate their hides. It says that we used War Hammers back then, and they were far more useful than swords, but even then, the creatures were incredibly fast, and fought with such ferocity that we lost dozens just to kill one. But the worst part were the small ones. The creatures laid egg sacks almost monthly, and out of them came hundreds of smaller ones that, if they survived, would eventually grow to become just as large as the ones who laid them. There were great battles between us and the creatures, but we eventually managed to kill them off."

"Does it say if any escaped?" He asked, and Amarok shook his head and said, "It doesn't, but I highly doubt it. According to the legend, these creatures don't surrender. They likely all died off. That is, if it's even true."

"Do you remember any description on sounds? A battle cry of some sort?"

"I don't remember anything like that." He replied, and Joyce nodded, then stared straight ahead, deep in thought. Everyone seemed to sense that talking was over, and Luna took to the sky again, and Bull got back in the turret.

Joyce sighed, trying to focus on the possibilities ahead of him. What if this legend Amarok speaks of is true? How will they fight them? Will bullets be effective? If they aren't, what other options do they have? They can use their grenades, but they don't have a lot of them. And what about the small ones? How many of those will there be? How will they deal with them?

He had ideas for this, but all of them were dependent on unknown factors. He sighed, frustrated, and focused on driving down the narrow dirt path. They took a few breaks on the way, and Cooper had replaced Joyce in the driver's seat, and he was now in the back behind Amarok. By nightfall, they had reached the cave.

"Ok, we're going wait until morning." Joyce said, and saw Amarok go to open the door, and said, "No, we're all going to stay in the Humvee. We'll sleep in here for the night, just to be safe."

Amarok sighed, and sat back in his seat. Joyce quickly rolled down his window, and said to Luna, who was waiting patiently outside, "We're all sleeping in here for the night, meet me near the back."

She nodded, and he rolled it up before turning around and climbing over the back of the seat, into the other compartment. Luckily, these Humvees were made to be able to fit a stretcher in the back for wounded, so there was plenty of room. He opened the back, and saw her standing there. She looked at him, confused for a moment, and he motioned for her to jump in. She smiled happily, and said sarcastically, "Such a gentleman," and then complied, and squeezed past him. She had to crawl to get further back, and she had to move her tail further in, and as she did, she brushed it past Joyce's chin. He closed the door, and turned around, and saw that she was having a hard time finding a comfortable position. Then another thing occurred to him; Bull would have to take the last seat. He was still in the gunner's seat, but Joyce sighed, and said to Luna, "Move over for a second."

She did, and he moved next to her, and sat down against the wall. She looked at him, confused, but then smiled, as she realized what he was doing. He pretended to be reluctant to do this, but a part of him was accepting of it.

"Bull, you can take the last seat. Close the hatch when you come down." He said, and Bull did so. Once he was down, he reached up, and pulled the hatch down, and by the time it slammed shut, Luna had already made herself comfortable, and settled down in his lap. Joyce himself wasn't particularly comfortable, but she clearly was, so he allowed it. She had her mid section off to his right, and her chest and front legs stretched across his lap, her head was lain across the floor to his left, and her neck curled back around so her head was next to his thigh, and her tail curled around and rested around his shoulders.

"Wow, so you'll let her sleep in your lap, but I can't even get you to pack an extra mag for me?" Bull asked sarcastically with a laugh. Joyce glared at him, but laughed as well. Luna looked up at him and whispered, "Do you want me to move?"

"No, you're fine." He whispered back, then said aloud, "Alright, let's get some rest. We have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow, so let's be prepared for the worst."

However, after a moment, he said, "Hey, Coop."

Cooper looked back at him, annoyed, and Joyce said with a smile and a nod, "Lock the doors."

Cooper looked back at the door, and mumbled, "Oh, right…" but then spun back around, now slightly irritated, and he said, "There aren't any locks."

Joyce smiled and laughed a little and replied, "I know, and now you've got first watch for falling for it."

"Oh…" he mumbled, disappointed, but then added, "Ok, but I'm waking you next."

Joyce smiled, then leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Unbeknownst to him, this would be the last time he had a good night's sleep in quite a while, and even then, it wouldn't be a full night.

He was suddenly awake. He stopped, and listened, but heard nothing but the even breathing of everyone else in the vehicle. He looked down at Luna, who had somehow shifted positions without waking him. She now had her torso across from him, her head in his lap and tail still hung around his shoulders.

He looked around to see if Cooper was still awake, but was a bit surprised to see Cooper fast asleep, and Bull awake instead. He looked alert, as if he had heard something. Joyce was about to ask him something, but Bull noticed he was awake, and silently motioned for him to be silent as well, and to listen. Joyce stopped, and listened as well. That was when he heard it; a quiet skittering sound. It was quietly followed by a scratching sound.

Joyce reached down to his sidearm, which was still in its holster at his right thigh, and pulled it out. He silently set it down on the floor next to him. It was then that he noticed the sound had stopped, and that he hadn't truly been silent when he set it down, as there was a very, very quiet sound of metal hitting metal. A tap really, but what ever was outside, it likely heard it. He looked at Bull, who still looked alert.

Then there was a tapping. It came from directly below his sidearm, and while it was quiet, he could tell it knew exactly where his gun had made the sound. It tapped for several seconds, waking Cooper, but before they could notice he was awake, he asked quietly, "What is that sound?"

Joyce snapped his head in his direction and motioned for him to be silent, but it was too late. There was a loud screech, similar to that of what Joyce had heard in the dream, but much smaller, and more… ferocity than the other had. But then, the chittering faded away, and it was gone.

Needless to say, Joyce didn't sleep the rest of the night. There were no other sounds other than those of nature, but Joyce was wide awake and on full alert the entire time. Soon, dawn came, and sunlight began to brighten the surrounding area, despite the fact that it was still on the other side of the mountain. They roused the still sleeping Amarok and Luna, and opened the doors and got out.

The air was chilly, and had a bit of a bite to it. The ground crunched as they stepped on it, a thick frost having set in on the short grass. Joyce was astonished the trees around him hadn't lost their leaves yet, typically a frost like this killed them off. But, it was a question that would be left unanswered, like so many others.

"Alright, gather around." Joyce said, and they all complied.

"Ok, so, here's the plan; Since we know nothing of the interior of this place, we're going to stay close, and we're going to stay silent. We don't know who or what we will find, so be careful, and if you find anything, point it out. And Amarok," he said, turning to him, "Should your bow fail you…" He then pulled his silenced M9 from its holster and handed it to him.

"I know you've watched us use ours, so you should know how to use it, correct?" he asked, and Amarok nodded, and carefully took the pistol.

"You can fire that 15 times, that's all you've got in the mag. Line the back sight up with the front sight and squeeze the trigger, that simple. Don't loose it." Joyce explained, then pulled a spare pistol from the Humvee. However, this one was not silenced, so it was a true last resort.

"Alright, one more thing." Joyce said, and pulled two small flashlights out of his bag, and handed one to Amarok, and then proceeded to tie the other to one of Luna's horns.

"If you get separated from the group, flash your light twice in the air and stay put. To turn it on, there's a small rubber pad on the bottom, push it in until you hear a click, then release it. Same thing to turn it off. Now, if for some reason we can't see the light, and you get into trouble, make noise. A short yell or scream, anything like that, and we'll come running."

They both nodded, and Joyce looked around and said, "Ok, let's get going."

It was a five minute walk up the rest of the way to the cave, but soon they stood before it. They were a bit stunned by how large this cave was, but then shook it off, and entered. They were walking in a column, with Joyce at the front, Amarok five feet behind him, then Bull, then Luna, then Cooper. It got dark fast once inside, and the three humans quickly lowered their NVG's. However, Luna, being a Dragon, and Amarok, being a wolf and a natural hunter of the night, both saw relatively fine in the low light.

There were collapsed portions of the cave everywhere, indicating that there truly was a large battle here. The large boulders and rubble wasn't hard to navigate, however, indicating that someone or something had been here to clean it up a bit. The team's radio's were now attuned to a different setting, and rather than made their voices quieter when they spoke, it now amplified it. This was so they could speak bellow even a whisper and still be heard clearly through the radio, and Joyce spoke now, "Keep your eyes peeled, someone's been here to clean up the place."

Neither of them responded. While Amarok had already seen the team in action during their first assault on the Ape fortress weeks before, Luna had yet to see them like this, but had gotten a glimpse of it when they cleared the building a few days prior. She now saw how silent they could be, moving steadily and making such little sound that she could barely hear their footsteps, and she was only 5 feet away from them. She took a shaky breath in, trying to calm her nerves, when there was a rustle to her right.

She gasped, and turned to the right, causing the others to jump at the sound as well. The line had stopped, and while Bull and Cooper scanned for the source of the sound, Joyce kept his eyes moving, looking for anything else. After a few minutes of complete silence, the group began to move forward again. After several more minutes, Joyce suddenly stopped, and quietly approached something off to the side. It was then that Luna realized they had not been weaving through the rubble, they had been following a path.

Joyce approached a small lump on the ground. When they approached it, Joyce clicked on his own flashlight, and it revealed a transparent, Crystal-like material. It was a mass of eggs, each about the side of a softball. They looked around at each other, but Joyce was particularly concerned about Luna, who had clearly shown an inept fear of Spiders. She looked horrified, and completely frozen. He quickly snapped in front of her face, and she jumped, but looked at him, and he whispered, "Do you need to wait outside?"

He could see her hesitate, and she looked around for a moment, but remained silent, so Joyce said, "Ok, yeah, we're going to lead you out."

She looked a bit ashamed, but nodded and followed them out. It took quite a while, but soon they were outside again. Once out there, Joyce turned to Luna, who still couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Hey," He said to her, and she hesitantly looked up, and he continued, "We've all got our limits and things we're scared of. You will always be afraid of it. But you know what? It takes an exceptionally strong person to overcome their fear, but even then, that courage won't last forever."

She looked confused, so he decided to sum it up for her, "You don't need to face your fears constantly. You'll spend most of your life running from them. All it takes is a few minutes of courage to face your fear and do something right."

She seemed to understand it now, but Bull butted in and said, "Well, if you're done with your philosophical speech, just tell her what she needs to do and let's get back to it."

Joyce smiled, and threw a small rock at him and said, "Ok, fine. Luna, all you need to do is wait and watch. Should we not come back out, you need to be here to tell the others when they show up. If we're not back out within 12 hours, then leave. Go back to Warfang, and gather as many soldiers as you can."

She nodded, and then hesitated a moment, before saying, "Come back out, ok?"

He smiled and nodded, then said to the others, "All of us are coming back out. Let's get going."

With that, they turned around and entered the cave. Luna watched them until they disappeared into the darkness. She sighed sadly, and a feeling of dread came over her; this wasn't going to end peacefully. Not that it ever did with Joyce and his team, but this wasn't going to be a good one.

But there was nothing she could do but wait. So, she curled up on a rock outside, and made sure it was isolated enough to prevent anything sneaking up on her. She watched the mouth of the cave relentlessly, looking for any kind of movement, and listening for any gunshots… or anything else.

After nearly two hours, she began to get tired, and her eyes were sore. She almost missed it; a quiet chittering sound from behind her. Her head shot up, and she looked behind her just in time to see it; A medium sized creature, about two feet tall and a white pearl colored skin… and eight legs. It hadn't seen her yet, apparently, as it emerged from the forest and approached the cave. She was frozen in place for several seconds before she realized it would come up behind Joyce and the others, So she gathered a bit of courage, and fired an Ice-spike at it, impaling it. It screeched loudly in pain, and it's legs flailed about wildly for several seconds before it was still.

Luna merely stared, wide eyed as she realized Amarok's legend was true. She wondered if Joyce and the others had already figured this out, and as she turned to look at the cave again, she heard the echo's of gunshots deep within the cave; Cooper's shotgun. Then, there was an explosion that shook the air.

She was on her feet, and at the mouth of the cave in an instant, but hesitated to enter. She looked over at the dead Spider, and there she stayed, frozen for several minutes, despite the sound of Cooper's shotgun getting closer. Only once she heard Cooper yell, "We're almost out!" did she snap back.

She jumped up on a rock, and prepared to blow an Ice storm at the spiders if they followed the team outside. Suddenly, they burst out of the darkness, and flew out of the cave. They reacted immediately, as the spiders came into view next. Luna gasped in terror at the sight and the sheer number of them; there were dozens, probably almost 50 of the little bastards chittering and crawling toward them. She didn't even turn to look at the team as they opened fire, killing several at a time. Once they came close enough, Luna realized that she had to use her attack before she froze again, and let loose.

She had long ago perfected her breath weapon, and had achieved such a cold breath attack that she could have frozen Joyce and his team if they were in front of her, and the spiders were no match. She froze dozens at a time, and pretty soon all that remained of the once deadly menace was a field of dead, frozen spiders. Luna knew they were dead, but didn't want to take any chances, and jumped off her rock before swiping her tail through them, shattering a few. The others joined in crushing the little bastards, and soon were standing in a field of ice. Luna smiled, and looked around for Joyce.

And didn't find him.

"Wait, where's Joyce?" She said, the panic rising within her. She saw Bull and Cooper look around as well, and their expressions both said one thing, 'uh oh.'

Joyce was silently moving through a dark part of the cave. His NVG's were busted, and he was now using the narrow beam of the flashlight on his rifle. However, unlike in the movies, he noticed, the beam was not the only thing he could see. In fact, it was far from it. The beam reflected off the dull grey rock all around the cave, illuminating the area around him. However, it also unfortunately cast a number of shadows that moved and jumped every time he moved the flashlight.

He heard his radio click on as it received a signal, but all he got from the other side was Static. He had been separated from the others when they were chased by the spiders, and while they were likely outside at this point, he had been forced to change directions and take off down a different cave. However, now he was too deep in the cave to hear them over the radio.

He knew this wasn't by chance. It was too perfect. Something or someone had organized this, and he walked right into their trap. He felt like an idiot, and was still kicking himself about it. He sighed in frustration, but kept his eyes up.

Suddenly, a light came into view. It was a soft glow at first, but as he came closer, he found it to be a fireplace. It was in the center of a large, circular room, filled with book shelves. However, it appeared to be unfinished, and only two shelves were filled; one on the right, and another on the left. The second he laid eyes on the right bookshelf, he immediately felt drawn to it. He took a few steps forward, but then stopped.

It was an unnatural feeling that drew him towards it, he realized. So, he turned around and went to the one on the left. There was only one book that stood out from the rest; a large, dark yellow book. However, before he could grab it, there was a slightly familiar voice; one of darkness, like two mountains colliding, and it said, "Good to see you again."

He slowly turned to face the creature, which had the same appearance as before; a shifting mass with corners everywhere, and not a single edge. It glared daggers at him, and Joyce was mistaken in assuming he wasn't supposed to find this. He smiled and said, "You really shouldn't have showed me how to get here if you didn't want me here."

The creature took a moment to react, then laughed loudly, more like the sound of a train hitting a brick wall, but the creature laughed for several seconds, and then said, "Oh, you poor fool. Everything so far is going according to plan. I didn't show you that just for you, I could have simply shown you the mountain or the spiders and you would have come running. No, I showed you the picture of Malefor to get Spyro and Cynder to come running as well."

Joyce was confused, but the creature went on, "If they think Malefor himself is here, then they're going to bring everyone they can, leaving Warfang almost defenseless and without an army, generals, or their saviors. The city will fall within a matter of hours, and from there it's as simple as conquering the nearby villages. From there, it's only a few steps from the world. The only thing that hasn't gone exactly to plan, was you overpowering the spell that was supposed to trap you."

"What happens when Spyro and Cynder show up with a few thousand soldiers?" Joyce asked, and the creature again laughed and said, "I think you've already found the reason why they won't be a problem."

"You think a couple of spiders is going to stop them?" He asked stubbornly, and the creature glared at him and said, "You think that is all we have? The ones that chased your friends out was just one egg hatching! Dozens of those eggs hatch every day, and they're lain almost daily as well. There are already hundreds of thousands of them, and there will be millions within weeks!"

"So you plan to repopulate the planet with spiders?" He asked, and the creature again glared at him, but then it said, "That's none of your concern, for its time for you to die!"

Joyce raised his rifle, and fired three shots, and watched, horrified as they all went through it. The creature simply smiled evilly, and, lightning fast, flew towards him. It grabbed Joyce, and threw him backwards like a rag doll. He hit the book case, and destroyed it. The books fell down on him, and he quickly took notice the large yellow one. He quickly grabbed it and stood up.

"That doesn't belong to you." Said the creature as it grabbed him again. Just before it threw him, Joyce attempted to punch it, but his fist went through it. What kind of fight was this? He was thrown through the air again, and landed with a thud. He had another idea, and while he knew it was likely far fetched and useless, he had seen too much strange shit today for him to disregard the idea without testing it first. He quickly grabbed his rifle, and stood, pointing it at the creature, who asked, "I thought we established that your guns don't work on me?"

Joyce flicked on the LED Flashlight, and immediately saw the creature react. It screeched, a sound like a rusty nail on steel, and covered its eyes. Astonished, Joyce was unable to move as it quickly flew away from him, and left him alone in the room. It took him several seconds to break back to reality, but once he did, he reacted quickly. He grabbed the yellow book, and threw it in his bag before running out of the room. Once outside, he heard a chittering sound.

He flicked his flashlight off for a moment, and listened. He heard the clicking of the spider's legs getting closer, and he flicked it back on. The spider was 10 feet infront of him. But the second he flicked it on, the spider did something he had yet to see one of them do; it ran. It bolted to his left, behind a large rock, just as one of Joyce's bullets hit the empty ground behind it. He sighed, knowing he couldn't leave it alive, but not wanting to risk it jumping out at him. Joyce turned the light off, and slowly moved towards the rock. His boots scuffed a stone, and he heard a hiss. However, it was then followed by a strange sound, similar to that of something burning, but he saw no light.

He jumped around the rock, flicking on his flashlight, ready to shoot the spider. However, he was astonished to find not a spider behind the rock… but a Fox. Not an anthropomorphic one, like the cheetahs and wolves were, but a regular fox. It was a deep red and brown color, with white fur at the tips of its ears and tail, and it's paws were black with a touch of white accenting the black. However, it's eyes were blue, Husky blue. And they were staring up at him, terrified, hungry, and alone.

Joyce knew in an instant that this was no normal creature, and would likely bring trouble… but he also knew he couldn't leave it here. It was clearly scared of him, so he lowered his rifle, and hesitantly got down on one knee. He offered his hand to it, and it slowly stood.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you." He said truthfully, and the Fox looked him in the eye for a moment, and Joyce got a sense of understanding, that it knew What He was saying. He knew it probably couldn't, so he asked, "You want to help me get out of here?"

It whined quietly, and again Joyce got a sense of understanding that told him, 'Yes.'

And then it began to walk off. He followed it for a moment, but then remembered; there were still thousands of spiders in here, according to that creature. He had to take care of them and get back to the City before Spyro left.

He had no idea how to do it, though. He thought about just collapsing the place, but he didn't have near enough explosives to bring down a cave this size. But then he remembered something; when they were ambushed by the spiders, Joyce had seen a crate with a symbol painted on it that looked like it meant an explosive. He perked up, but then looked down at the fox, who clearly knew he had something planned.

He knew this clearly wasn't a fox, and it possessed a far greater knowledge than he knew, but he didn't quite trust it. He got down on his knee, and whispered, "Hey, there are a few things I have to take care of first. I'll show you the way out, just meet me by the entrance, ok?"

The creature stared at him, wide eyed for several moments, and Joyce began to wonder if he had thought too soon on its intelligence. But then, it whined quietly, and walked up to him before sitting down. Joyce again felt he knew what this meant, 'I'll come with.'

"You sure?" He asked, then realized that while, for some reason he didn't feel silly talking to it, he knew it looked pretty damn silly. He had a conversation with a damn Fox inside of a dark cave filled with spiders, even if a short one…. And only one participant actually spoke.

He still had no idea what was giving him this feeling that he knew what it meant, nor how he had, so far, been correct in his interpretations. This was no exception, and as he started to move again, it now followed instead of leading. It also appeared to be on high alert, it's ears swiveling back and forth at sounds Joyce couldn't yet hear, but what had Joyce concerned, was the fact that when their eyes met, he could still very much see the fear and pain in its eyes. Not even Luna could tell him as much with her eyes as this creature now was.

He suddenly felt a pang of sadness and guilt, but then it looked away from him, and the feeling left only the memory of itself in his mind.

Suddenly, his radio crackled to life, and at first it was just static, but as he came closer to the entrance, it became more and more clear, "Joy-…. Wh-…. -ou?... Joyce? Respond… -amn it!"

He figured this would be a good enough time to attempt to speak back to them, and he whispered into his radio, "Bull? Cooper? Can you hear me?"

Back on the other side, they all sighed in relief, having been trying relentlessly to get a response for nearly half an hour.

Cooper then spoke into his radio, "You dumb, crazy son of a bitch! We thought you were dead! Where are you? What are you doing?"

Joyce had stopped where he was, to avoid loosing the signal he had acquired, and replied, "Well… I'm headed further into the cave to do something crazy and stupid."

It was silent for several seconds before Bull replied, "What? No, just stay where you are, we're coming in to help."

"No," Joyce replied quickly, "stay out there and wait for me. This will be easier with just me." As he said it, he got a glare from the fox, and he said, "Ok, fine, 'the two of us.'" But he didn't say it over the radio.

"Are you sure?" Bull asked, and Joyce replied, "Yes, I'm sure. Stay out there and he ready to cover my retreat."

There was no response from the radio, so Joyce hefted his rifle to a ready position and nodded to the fox and kept walking. Within another ten minutes of walking, they came across the site of their initial ambush, and Joyce was exceptionally careful.

They were in a narrow part of the cave now, the roof only reached about 15 feet above their heads, and there were several large chunks missing from it. They were clearly seen as the large boulders that block the way further into the cave, leaving a small crack between them. It was through here that the spiders had some from, and also through which Joyce had seen the crate he wanted to investigate. He hesitated to come close to it, and he could hear the chittering of spiders on the other side.

Suddenly, he felt a tug on his pants, and while he knew it was the fox, he still jumped a little. However, thankfully the spiders didn't seem to have heard him from the other side. He looked down at the fox, who was beckoning him to follow. He hesitated, but realized he didn't have much choice. The Fox led him off a small path to the left side, and jumped up a few rocks. Joyce climbed as quietly as he could, and when he found the fox again, he found what it had wanted to show him; another space between the boulders. This one wasn't nearly as large as the other, requiring him to practically crawl through, but thankfully it wasn't a tight fit. He crawled for nearly seven feet before he finally came out the other side.

However, the second he did, he was hit with the sound of the spiders, and hundreds of them. Their chittering was probably the reason they hadn't heard him, it was so loud. He slowly stood and turned to the right to look for the crate, but left his light off. He didn't need it, anyways, not in here. Several of the spiders were emitting a soft, greenish glow, illuminating the entire cavern.

And as he turned to face forward, he froze, completely awestruck. The creature wasn't lying when it told him hundreds of thousands of spiders.

Before him, he saw a cavern easily the size of several football fields, and hundreds of feet tall… and all the spiders… there truly were hundreds of thousands, but it wasn't the small ones that got his attention.

It was the big ones.

Like giants among sheep, enormous versions of the previously thought 'large spiders' walked among and patrolled the fields of the glowing spiders. The large ones, however, were far brighter, and had large, glowing crystals protruding from their legs that glowed an intense shade of green-blue. He was absolutely shocked by the sheer size of the beings, and how gracefully yet powerful their strides were. They were easily the size of a house, and a pretty nice house at that. In total. There were 24 of the large ones that walked aimlessly among the smaller ones.

He heard a soft whine, and he turned to the fox, who had its tail between its legs in fear, and it's ears folded against its head. He kneeled down, and patted its head a few times, and it seemed to be confused at first, but then appeared to be content with the reassuring hand. He momentarily leaned against the rock wall next to him, thinking of a plan, when he noticed his hand was wet. Confused, he felt the wall again, and found it was covered in moisture.

There was a river on the other side of this wall, and probably how the spiders stayed alive. Their crystal bodies clearly showed high mineral intake, so they could have easily survived by eating the rocks and ores out of the mountain, and gotten their water from the river.

Joyce had an idea, and reached down and picked up a rock about the size of his fist, and looked around. Then, hoping beyond reason that this would work, he chucked the rock as far into the cavern as he could. He then turned and spotted the crate of dynamite, or atleast he hoped it was dynamite.

The rock somehow, among the field of spiders, found solid ground to hit, and crackled loudly as it echoed across the cave. At first there was silence. Then the cave exploded into activity as the small spiders rushed toward the sound.

However, then the big ones went into action. He heard several enormous screeches from them, and turned to see five of them charging relentlessly towards the sound. He turned back, and saw the path to the box clear. He took his chance, and jumped off the ledge and sprinted as quietly as he could towards it. He reached the box almost as soon as the spiders reached the rock, and he looked inside to see five cylindrical objects with fuses sticking out one end. He almost cheered with joy as he realized it was exactly what he needed, but he didn't even get the chance. He heard an enraged screech, and turned to see that one of the enormous spiders had noticed him. He didn't need any more incentive than the look that spider gave him. He pulled the lighting material from his bag and attempted to light the fuse, just as the spiders started to charge him. They were 70 feet away. One spark, no ignition.

60 feet away. Another Spark, no ignition. All he needed was one stick to light.

50 feet. A spark, a little bit of ignition, and it burned only for half a second.

30 feet, he tried again, and the fuse burned brightly now. He stood, and whistled to the fox, who had remained frozen on the ledge. It now turned to him, and ran towards him, and when he pointed to the larger crack to escape, it ran for it.

Joyce then tossed the stick to the wall he knew had the river behind it. He didn't even stop to see if it landed correctly, and started to run, the Spiders being only 20 feet from him. Just before he could squeeze through, he dropped a frag grenade to slow them, and dove through to the other side. He found the fox waiting for him on the other side, but the second he came through, it was up and running.

Joyce heard the frag go off, but still not the dynamite, and was scared that it hasn't worked. Either way, he couldn't wait around to find out, and pushed himself up and kept running. However, he didn't get very far, as a spider jumped on his back, taking him to the ground. It jumped off him just before he hit, but was back on him in a second, and Joyce had to try and keep its fangs away from him, but it's legs were scratching at his arms, chest and legs.

Suddenly, the fox jumped in out of nowhere, and tackled the spider off of him. He turned just in time to see it bite down on the spider's abdomen with a crunch. He nodded to the fox, but then the ground shook, as a massive explosion shook the air and everything around him.

The dynamite had gone off. He heard the sound of rushing water, and the terrified screeches of the spiders. He stood to run, but almost fell over as the ground shook violently. The cave groaned loudly, and suddenly, there was a sound like a thousand pieces of paper being torn

The cave was coming down.

"Shit!" He yelled, and looked at the fox and yelled, "Run!"

It hesitated a moment, but then bolted back down the cave, and Joyce quickly followed. He ran as fast as he could, stumbling occasionally as large chunks from the roof of the cave came loose and landed nearby with deafening impacts. He also soon heard the sound of rushing water catching up to him. He risked a glance behind him, and saw that the water was starting to creep up on him.

Unfortunately, during his glance backwards, he failed to notice the crevice forming in front of him. However, luckily or unluckily, he tripped, and while he slid, he saw it. He maneuvered his body, and as he slid over the edge, his hands found purchase, and he stopped himself from falling into the dark, shadowed and very deep hole. However, his rifle did not stop, and slid off the edge, the flashlight spinning wildly around before it disappeared. He gasped loudly, and pulled himself up. He looked to the other side, and saw it had widened even further, and was now nearly 15 feet across.

And there, standing on the other side, was the fox. It looked at him sadly, and hesitated a moment.

"Run! Go!" Joyce Yelled, but the fox hesitated still. But then, it turned around and ran, leaving Joyce to face the dangers alone. He heard his radio crackle to life, and for a moment, he ignored it, knowing he would die here, thinking, 'What's the point?' However, when he heard Luna's voice on the other side, it snapped him back.

"Joyce?! Where are you?! The cave is collapsing!" She said, and he reluctantly replied, "I'm… I'm trapped. I have no idea where."

"No, keep looking, there had to be a way-" She started, but he cut her off, "No! Forget about me! There is something more important I need you to do! The creature I saw before, the ones of evil that we were told about, I saw it here again. It planned this. Malefor isn't here, he really is dead, it just wanted to convince Spyro to bring as many troops as he could, to leave the city undefended. You need to get back and stop them!"

"What? But what about you? We can't just let you die in there!" She yelled back at him, to which he replied calmly and slowly, "Yes, you can. You need to hurry, go now." And with that, he removed the earpiece from his ear, and placed it in his pocket. He slowly turned around, as the water hit his boots. It flowed around his shoes, slowly rising, and flowed into the enormous dark barrier behind him. He watched the water flow towards him, an ever slowly rising tide, and the large boulders that crashed down into it. He heard another sound; one of the big spiders screeched in anguish as it pushed itself out of the rubble, and as it turned to him, Joyce could sense the pure hatred in it.

It screeched again, a battle cry, before it began to charge him. Time slowed, as Joyce accepted it; he didn't have a choice. He had no weapons left to hurt this creature. However, an idea came to him, and he looked down at his belt… at the single remaining Frag Grenade. He considered it, then slowly reached down for it, and grabbed it. He slowly raised it, and prepared to pull the pin. Atleast he would die fighting, he thought.

Suddenly, before he could pull the pin, three gunshots rang out, each hitting one of the creature's eyes. It screeched in pain, and halted its advance, bringing two legs to cover its face. Joyce turned around, and struggled to make out the figure behind him. But then, he gasped.

It was none other than Jackson himself. He smiled at Joyce, but then scolded him and said, "Hey! I better not find you in this kind of situation again! You have your team for a reason! And if I ever find you willing to die like this again, I'll kick your ass myself! Do I make myself clear?"

Joyce was still stunned, and completely frozen, but he managed a nod and he mumbled, "Yes sir."

Jackson then smiled warmly at him and said, "Good. Now get to it."

With that, he faded away, confusing Joyce. However, as he faded, he was blinded by a light, and he heard a voice yell, "Joyce! Jump!"

The light moved, revealing Luna standing there, horrified but determined.

"Luna? What are you doing in here?" he yelled, but then heard the enraged screech of the spider behind him, and turned to see it charging him again. He turned back to her, and she yelled, "Jump!"

"I can't make that!" He yelled back, to which she glared at him and yelled, "Just try it! I'll catch you!"

He wasn't sure how she would catch him, but he groaned and took a few steps back. He didn't need to turn around to know the spider was way to close to him, so he sprinted forward… and jumped.

It was an impressive jump, he went nearly 10 feet… but the remaining five feet were the problem. However, suddenly, Luna leaped out towards him, wings outstretched and legs open. He reached for her, but suddenly felt the claw of the spider dig into his leg. However, it found no purchase, and instead of dragging him backwards, it merely cut into the back of his leg. However, it was still a very deep cut, and he cried out in pain. However, Luna caught him in her legs, and wrapped all four around him. She then used her wings, and with one, powerful push of her wings, she pushed herself backwards.

With a thud, she landed on her back, and dropped Joyce to the ground. The spider could very easily crossed the crevice, but by some miracle, it never got the chance. With a sickening crunch, a large boulder came down, and landed in the center of it. It screeched in pain, but Luna didn't bother to look at it. And started to run. However, she then realized Joyce wasn't following her. She looked back, and saw him struggling to stand, blood pouring from his leg. She stopped, and ran back for him.

She reached him, and yelled, "Get on my back!"

She was sure she could carry him confidently, but she knew this wouldn't be a walk in the park. She would have to maintain her balance while running with him on her back, not to mention dodge the falling rocks.

A mental picture of her being smashed with him on her back flashed through her mind, but she shook it off, and yelled at him again, "Get on my back, Now!"

He climbed up, and she reached her head back and pulled him all the way by grabbing the back of his vest with her teeth and dragging him up. He was settled between her wings to keep him from moving, and he had his arms around her neck. She started running, and it was hard for the first few seconds, still getting used to him being there. Soon, she became used to it, but it didn't get easier. She tired much faster with the new weight, and her muscles protested quite a lot. She pressed through the pain.

Suddenly, she gasped, and Joyce had to peer around her neck to see what it was. And there, running for the exit as well, were 18 spiders. They hadn't seen them yet, but to get past them, they would be seen. Joyce groaned in pain as his arm protested the movement, but he quickly reached for his sidearm. He pulled it out, and yelled to be heard over the sound of the mountain literally falling in on itself, "I'm going to start shooting! Don't stop running!"

She didn't say anything, so she nodded quickly in response. He fired the first shot, but missed it. A few of the spiders stopped in their tracks at the sound, but the rest kept running. Joyce quickly fired twice more, killing two of the five that had stopped. Luna raced past the other three before they could react, but Joyce kept facing forward, and fired at one that decided to jump at them. He hit it, but it still landed infront of them, and Luna had to jump over it, almost throwing Joyce off. He quickly turned around and fired at the three coming up behind them, taking them all out.

He only had six shots left, and 10 spiders left to deal with, so he decided to save his shots. They could see the daylight suddenly, it was only about 150 feet, and Luna pushed herself harder. The spiders had stopped trying to attack them, and were simply trying to escape.

Ten seconds later, they burst around the corner and saw Bull, Cooper, and Amarok dispatching the remaining spiders. They spotted them, and Bull waved them on and yelled, "Come on! Run!"

Luna leaped out of the cave, and out into the forest. She didn't stop running until they reached the Humvee. The second she stopped, Joyce pushed himself off, and sat against the Humvee while they waited for the others .

Bull and Cooper and Amarok came out of the tree line, and ran up, and Bull asked, "Holy shit, dude! You're just an expert at evading death, aren't you?"

"Well, I've had a bit of help evading it." He said, and looked to Luna. However, then he remembered it wasn't just Luna, and kept looking.

"Who are you looking for?" Cooper asked, and Joyce considered replying with a no-one, but then he spotted it; the fox. It was standing just within the tree line, staring at them. Joyce smiled and pointed before he replied, "That."

They turned and saw the fox, and Bull turned back to him, and asked, "Are you ok, man? Because that's a fox…"

"No," Luna said, and smiled at the fox, "It led me to Joyce. I had no idea where he was, but it did."

"Yep, I found it after I encountered that creature." But then he frowned, and Luna asked, "Something wrong?"

"No.. just that… I think it may have been a spider at first, but it ran behind a rock, and when I looked, it was a fox. I heard a weird burning sound, as well."

Luna's eyes went wide with surprise, and for the first time he had seen, there was not fear of dread, but wonder. She turned and looked at the fox with a new sense of what it was, and Joyce added, "And for some reason, I mean, call me crazy, but I swear I knew what it was telling me, but it never spoke.."

"That's because it isn't a fox." She said, and walked towards it. It didn't run, but it looked a little nervous.

"Well then what is it?" He asked, and followed her.

"Well, the books I've been reading, written in the ancient Dragon tounge… it told of creatures like these. I thought they were just fairy tales… but now… let's see if it truly is what I think it is."

However, as Luna came closer, it began to back up a bit, so she stopped. The Fox looked at Joyce with its big, pale blue eyes.

"I think it trusts you." Luna said, and pushed him lightly with her tail. As Joyce took a step forward, the fox took a step toward him as well, and they met in the middle. Joyce crouched down, and again offered his hand to the fox, but it ignored him this time, and walked right up to him. He patted it a few times, then turned around and asked Luna, "So how do you want to find out if this is what you think it is?"

"Well… ask it a question, see if you get a response." She replied, but Joyce noticed Bull and Cooper were giving him uncertain looks.

"If that thing has rabies, and you get bit, you are so fucked…" Bull said, and Joyce glared at him, and to his surprise, so did the fox. However, when he turned his attention back to the fox, it turned its head up to him.

"What are you?" He asked, a bit awkwardly. The Fox cocked its head at him, and Joyce had the feeling again, and it told him, 'I don't know.'

He looked back at Luna, who was looking at him expectantly, and said, "I get this feeling… like she's talking to me… but also not. It's like a translation of sorts, I think, but she says, 'I don't know.'"

Luna smiled and said, "Well, the stories don't describe exactly how they communicate, but it makes sense she doesn't know what she is. They don't have a community, not even known parents. They just… appear. They make their way through the world."

"What are they?" Joyce asked, to which she said, "They're called Makers. A shapeshifting lifeform that, according to the stories, were responsible for life on our planet. They're creatures of an old magic, things that haven't been seen in thousands of years. They're said to use a very different type of magic compared to the Magic we have today, and rather than to harm, their magic was used to create… to heal… to mend. The tale says that several members of their population took specific forms; The Dragon, the Wolf, the Ape, the Cheetah, the Mole, and all the rest. Then, they committed their lives, sacrificing their immortality, in order to live as these specific creatures, creating their very own generations for each race. The tribes, the villages, everything… they were all created from the imaginations of these creatures, and their will to do something with meaning.." the awe in her voice was very obvious, and Joyce looked into the fox's eyes once more, and saw a deep intelligence, and as great understanding of the world.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but we really do need to get going." Amarok said, and received a glare from Luna.

"No, he's right." Joyce said, seeing her glare.

They had a long ways to go before they reached Warfang, and they would need to haul some serious ass if they were to make it there before Spyro left. Joyce limped over to the Humvee, but tripped and fell with a groan of pain.

"Shit, why didn't you tell me about this?" Cooper scolded him, having seen the blood seeping from his leg. Cooper quickly lifted him into the back of the Humvee, and laid him across the floor. He went to close the door, but Joyce stuck his good foot in the way, and then whistled loudly, beckoning the fox to jump up, and she quickly did so. Cooper was a bit surprised, but simply shook his head and closed the door. He heard doors from the front open and close, and Bull started the engine and started driving. He was slow at first, and dodged the holes and bumps while Cooper worked. However, within a few minutes, Cooper had it bandaged and cleaned, and he patted his leg a few times before climbing over him and into the front, where he then climbed up into the gunner's seat. He noticed the fox had been staring intently at his wounds, and she now looked up at his face. He slowly pushed himself up to lean against the side of the truck, and watched her intently as well.

It was then that he realized he had been referring to it as a female. He had no idea why, and had no indication to weather or not it was female. He leaned forward, and whispered to her, "Are you what she says you are?"

The Fox simply stared at him with her calm, collected, and knowledgeable eyes for several seconds, then stood from her sitting position, and walked up to him. She stopped next to his wounded leg, and sat down. She ten looked down at his leg, and sniffed at it a moment, her nose briefly brushing against the bandage, causing him to wince in pain. She noticed this, and looked up at him and whined quietly for a moment before lowering her head once more.

She hesitated a moment, and Joyce got a sense that she was telling him, 'Brace.'

He did so, and she began to lick at the bandage. At first it tingled a bit, then then Joyce saw the rough elastic bandage become to come off like wet paper, and the burning started. It was an intense feeling, and he tensed up and closed his eyes, clenching his teeth to avoid crying out in surprise and pain. He didn't open his eyes until she was almost done, and what he saw was miraculous; the skin was now red and it itched like hell… but it was there. The gash was gone entirely. He had to stop himself from laughing joyously, and instead smiled broadly at her.

"Do you have a name?" He asked her, and she replied, 'Serene.'

"Serene?" He asked, but she didn't reply, giving him the answer he needed.

"Huh, ok, so.. are you male, or female?" he asked a bit awkwardly, to which he got a reply of, 'two.'

"Wait, choice two, or do you mean both?"

'Number.' She replied, and Joyce began to put things together.

"Well, thank you, Serene." He asked, and after several minutes of silence, he asked, "What else can you do?"

She seemed to be in thought for several seconds, and whether she was thinking of something to show him, or debating if she should show him anything, was unknown to him. However, then she looked him in the eye, and he felt, 'Look away.' Was what she said, so he closed his eyes. That was when he heard the burning sound again, but it was gone within seconds, and when he opened his eyes, he gasped, stunned.

Sitting next to him, was not the fox he knew as Serene, but was now a beautiful, midnight black wolf. Her fur shone even in the low light. However, she wasn't an anthropomorphic wolf like Timber, and Amarok, but instead a wolf like he had seen from back home. A wave of memories came over him; his home.

His parents owned a cabin in the Rockies, and a very large property. He was eight years old when he came across his first wolf up there, and as the memories came back to him, he remembered it looked exactly like the one before him; light green eyes, filled with curiosity and a hidden strength, long legs, enormous paws, and large ears, as was normal among wolves. Just looking at her brought back so many pleasant memories of his old home, and he couldn't stop smiling.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already bonded greatly with the 'Maker' before him, and as she watched how happy the form she took made him, she decided to keep it for a while.

Joyce was interrupted by Amarok, who looked back at them, and gasped as well, but more in fear.

"What is that?!" He yelled, and Joyce turned and smiled at him, and said, "That is Serene. The stories Luna read about her are true."

"Wait, that's the fox you were just talking too? But it's a… I don't even know what that is now! And how do you know it's name?" He asked in disbelief and confusion.

"Well, she can communicate in a way… I don't know why or how I know, but I do. And she's a wolf, now." He replied calmly, but Amarok yelled back, "No, I'm a wolf! That is not a wolf!"

"No, she is a wolf, just a different kind than you. We have these kinds of wolves back where I come from." He replied, then looked back at Serene, who looked a bit nervous, so he added, "And Amarok, relax a bit."

"How can I relax right now? We just escaped a cave full of giant spiders, and now we're racing back to Warfang to stop Spyro from leaving the city before an attack comes!" He yelled, to which Joyce yelled back, "Amarok!" and then continued calmly, "Relax. There's nothing you can do, and worrying is only going to make things worse."

By now, Cooper had heard the commotion from down below, and dropped down from his seat above and asked, "What's going on?"

However, then he saw Serene, and his eyes went wide, but rather than react like Amarok did, he smiled and said, "Woah, it can do that? That's pretty fuckin' sick."

"Right?" Joyce said, happy someone else thought it was a good thing.

"So what's it's name?" He asked, to which he replied, "Her name is Serene. Oh, and check this shit out," and he showed him his leg. Cooper's jaw dropped, and he was speechless. When he did speak, all he said was, "Holy shit…"

"What's going on back there?" Bull asked from the front, to which Cooper replied, "Joyce has another magical wolf friend that healed his leg."

"Wasn't it a fox earlier?" Bull asked, to which Joyce replied, "Yep."

He laughed when he saw Bull shake his head with a sigh, and heard him say, "What a surprise. Why don't I make any of these friends? I'm the big, lovable guy… you're the hard-ass with a gun that likes to boss people around."

"You want to see me be a hard-ass?" Joyce asked sarcastically with a smile, to which Cooper replied for him with a quick, "Nope."

"That's what I thought." He said with a laugh, then turned back when he felt something touch his leg. He saw Serene had lain down next to his leg, and leaned against him.

"Aww, she's so cute…" Cooper said sarcastically, to which Serene growled loudly at him and bared her teeth. Cooper jumped at the sight, and frowned before Joyce laughed and said, "Just get back up on the gun."

With that, Joyce settled in for a long trip back, and tried to get a little rest before his turn to drive or take the turret came. They traveled until nightfall, and rested for only a few minutes, then kept going long into the night. However, soon, they came across a scouting party, who led them back to the main force. As they rode into the camp, they found Spyro and Cynder, or rather, they found Joyce, and were confused but excited to see them.

"What did you find there?" Was the first thing Spyro asked, but Joyce shook his head and said, "Pack up everything, we need to get back to Warfang, Now."

"Why? What's going on?" Cynder asked, but he again shook his head and said, "No time to explain, we need to get back to Warfang ASAP, there's an attack coming."

"He's right, I think I already see fires burning at the city!" Luna yelled as she landed with a thump nearby.

"Please tell me you left the greater force at Warfang…" Joyce said, and Spyro nodded his head, still baffled, and said, "Yeah, I only took about 800 with me… I had planned on taking more, but Cynder convince me otherwise." But then he smiled, and added, "In fact, she made the comparison that the three of you each counted for 300 of our soldiers."

"Either way, we need to get back ASAP, 800 soldiers will make a hell of a difference, especially if they come from behind." Joyce said, and Spyro nodded and replied, "We'll get packed up and meet you there."

Joyce nodded, and got back into the Humvee. He hauled ass for the city, which was easily three more hours. He sighed, and then yawned. He had gotten so used to sleeping normally that he was starting get tired now. But, either way, he had a long day of fighting and running, as well as a lot of confusion, but much clarity, too.

But it wasn't over yet.

 **And That's the end of Chapter Three! I must apologize for the time it took to post this, but hey, it was a hell of a lot faster than the last one took! And might I add… DAMN… That's a lot of words… 32,080 words in total...** **Also, please forgive any mistakes I missed while editing this, As I said above, I'm just trying out a new system, so I might have gotten a few names and such wrong, and I might miss them when I edit.** **Also, as far as Serene goes… Yes, I know there is absolutely nothing detailing creatures like these in the real games, but I wanted to add something like this in. And honestly, I feel like I did it pretty smoothly… Anyways, for now, she will only be able to speak to Joyce, and even then it will only be through single word or short sentence responses. No paragraphs or stories, and no background story… yet. I have a** plan for it all.


End file.
